With over one million people in Virginia on Medicaid, about 630,000 of those could stand to lose coverage should Republicans in Congress cut federal funding, Democratic state lawmakers have stressed. U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, added her voice to the chorus of warnings at a press conference at the statehouse on Tuesday afternoon.
“We are here to say, ‘not on our watch and not without a fight,’” McClellan said during her visit to Virginia’s Capitol.
She was joined by state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield and Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, along with central Virginia residents who shared their experiences with Medicaid as recipients or healthcare providers.
Though it doesn’t name Medicaid specifically, the U.S. House Republican budget plan adopted in February would direct the House Energy and Commerce Committee — which McClellan serves on in the minority party — to find ways to cut the deficit by $880 billion over the next decade. That committee has jurisdiction over Medicaid, Medicare and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
“(Republican’s budget plan) doesn’t say the word ‘Medicaid’ but you cannot get to $880 billion… without cutting Medicaid,” McClellan said.
The federal program helps states provide healthcare coverage to low-income earners, as well as those with disabilities or who don’t have employer-sponsored healthcare. When Virginia expanded its Medicaid program in 2018, Virginia’s acute care hospitals stepped up to provide some funding. But trigger language in the expansion means that it could be lost if federal funding changes.
The possibility is troubling for Virginia Democrats, who have been sounding the alarm for months. A January memo from President Donald Trump to initiate a federal funding freeze earlier this year included a footnote detailing programs that would not be affected — Medicaid was absent from that footnote. Several states also reported brief loss of connection to Medicaid portals, something Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office knew about but did not disclose at the time.
Hashmi and state Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, had tried to help Virginia prepare for potential cuts through a state budget amendment, but it didn’t survive negotiations.
“We’re going to have a lot of figuring out to do and it’s really going to be a struggle to do that,” Deeds said earlier this year.
Aida Pacheco’s voice strained and eyes welled Tuesday while she described how her daughter is battling breast cancer. Having worked all of her adult life, the diagnosis has left her unable to do so while she is receiving care.
“She has a fighting chance with Medicaid,” Pacheco said.
Aida Pacheco speaks about how Medicaid ensures her daughter who is battling breast cancer has health insurance while she is unable to work. Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods / Virginia Mercury
Her voice grew passionate as she described opponents of Medicaid labeling beneficiaries as “abusing the system” or being people who “don’t want to work.”
“It’s insulting,” she said.
Katina Moss added how each of Virginia’s Medicaid recipients has a story of what it means for them. For Moss, it means being able to have insurance for her own health while she cares for her ill and aging mother. Just as she was launching her own small business, her mother fell ill and needed multiple surgeries. To be able to care for her, Moss has taken “jobs for lesser pay.”
“I do not intend to be on Medicaid permanently,” she said, but said it has helped her at a time she otherwise would not have health care. “There are too many people who are just one doctor’s visit away from financial ruin.”
It’s stories like theirs that McClellan hopes her colleagues in the nation’s capital will listen to.
“When they start hearing from their constituents about how much they want them to keep their hands off their health care, they’ll backtrack,” McClellan said.
In the meantime, there are still steps ahead before more concrete movement on Medicaid specifically could occur. Congressional Republicans are balancing pressure from the Trump administration to move forward on certain tax cuts as well as funding boosts to support military spending and mass deportations of undocumented immigrants with cuts to social programs as possibilities. There is also a reconciliation process likely to kick off next month where lawmakers can further deliberate on budgets.
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Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
www.youtube.com – 13News Now – 2025-04-19 06:29:35
SUMMARY: This Saturday morning brings a beautiful weekend, especially for Easter celebrations, with highs in the upper 80s. Southwest breezes, gusting to 25 miles per hour, push temperatures well above average, starting in the upper 50s to middle 60s. Expect mostly sunny skies and warm conditions, ideal for beach outings, despite chilly water temperatures. Easter Sunday will start mild, but a backdoor cold front will cause temperatures to drop in the afternoon with increasing cloud cover and potential rain. Multiple rounds of rain are forecasted for the upcoming week, with temperatures returning to seasonal averages by the latter part of the week.
Despite a front dropping through the area Sunday, it will be a nice weekend in Hampton Roads.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-18 11:38:00
(The Center Square) – Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earles-Sears accuses her Democratic opponent for governor, Abigail Spanberger of hiding a trust; Spanberger says it only holds her home—and ethics experts say she may not have needed to report it.
The Dispute centers on a home Spanberger and her husband placed in a trust in 2017, which her campaign says produced no income and was legally exempt from disclosure.
With both women vying to become Virginia’s first female governor, the accusation has quickly turned into a fight over ethics, transparency and what voters expect from their candidates.
“Members of Congress do not need to report assets from a non-income producing trust where they are an administrator that does not receive income or have any beneficial interest in the trust,” said Delaney Marsco, ethics director at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center.
“Personal residences that do not earn income are not required to be disclosed,” a campaign spokesperson said, “so Abigail did not disclose her family’s only home—as doing so would make their home address publicly available.”
They added that when the home was placed in a trust, “Abigail filed her disclosures in accordance with House ethics rules, which do not require her to disclose her role as a trustee of a living trust holding only her family’s home.”
Earle-Sears has publicly slammed Spanberger on social media, accusing her of “dodging tough questions” and “hiding a $900,000 trust fund.”
“She’s a typical politician,” Earle-Sears wrote in apost on X, questioning whether Virginians can trust Spanberger if she’s “willing to lie about this.”
The Earle-Sears campaign did not respond to a request for comment beyond public posts.
The accusation signals an early campaign strategy from Earle-Sears, who has so far leaned into sharp, combative messaging to define Spanberger as the race for the governor’s mansion heats up.
Under House ethics rules, members of Congressare not requiredto disclose personal residences or non-income-producing assets held in a trust as long as they receive no financial benefit. They must report liabilities such as mortgages and disclose trustee roles only if the position involves an organization or generates income.
Virginia requires statewide candidates to file a Statement of Economic Interests, but similar to federal rules, personal residencesare typically exemptif they don’t produce income. The state form focuses on business ties, investments and income sources—leaving out non-commercial trusts like the one Spanberger’s team says holds her home.
www.youtube.com – 13News Now – 2025-04-18 06:11:37
SUMMARY: The weather forecast for the upcoming days shows temperatures above average, with highs reaching 79°F today and possibly 86°F tomorrow. Sunday will remain warm with temperatures in the upper 70s, but a backdoor front may cause a slight afternoon cool down. Easter Sunday will see dry conditions in the morning but potential severe storms in the Midwest. Monday will be mild, but showers and storms are expected Tuesday through Thursday. By Friday, conditions should improve, with temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s as the week ends. Skies will be mostly clear today, with light winds from the south.
