Michigan Families for Fair Care Marks Memorial Day in Macomb County, Honoring Veterans While Calling Out Congressman James's Votes That Threaten Their Care
For Memorial Day, Michigan Families for Fair Care joined community members this Wednesday in Michigan's 10th Congressional District, to honor the service and sacrifice of veterans and to highlight how votes in Congress threaten the very programs thousands of those veterans depend on to stay healthy and fed. Residents, veterans, and community leaders gathered at the event to recognize the holiday and speak to the real consequences of recent votes in Washington.
The gathering came as the Republican Tax Law, which will soon celebrate its anniversary, will likely take a toll on veterans. The law includes the largest cuts to Medicaid in the program's history and stripped food assistance protections from hundreds of thousands of veterans nationwide, including many who live and work right here in Macomb County. One in ten veterans across the country relies on Medicaid for health coverage, and nearly half of those veterans live with a disability. For them, this is a matter of whether they can afford to see a doctor or put food on the table.
Community members at Wednesday's event made clear that words of gratitude ring hollow when paired with votes that threaten veterans' health care and food security.
“Memorial Day was a day fundamental to this country’s promise to our veterans, that they deserve to be respected and honored. That is not what we are seeing come out of Washington. Congress has pulled the lever on policies that are ripping the rug right from under people.“ Joel, resident of MI-10 and Air Force Veteran. “This Memorial Day, let’s fight for veterans who are seeking access to the basics. We should grant the people who fought for our country that much.”
Additional Photos And Statements From Attendees Can Be Found Here.
More than 40,000 veterans in Michigan rely on Medicaid or food assistance programs that the Republican Tax Law puts at risk. Many are scared, with new stripped protections from veterans experiencing homelessness, veterans with chronic conditions, and parents of older children, regardless of whether they are already working. Michigan Families for Fair Care continues to educate residents across the state and educating residents on what good policy means for the families and veterans who call this community home.
