Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement on the celebration of the 52d anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid:

“In July of 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law, creating a health care safety net that has cradled millions of seniors and vulnerable children for more than five decades. The programs have saved countless lives and offered peace of mind to older Americans, no longer denied the healing power of modern medicine.

“Fifty years ago, half of all seniors had no health insurance, making any major illness or accident a potential death sentence. Today, largely thanks to Medicare, the fortunes have changed with health coverage provided to nearly 55 million seniors and people with disabilities.

“Before Medicaid, many young families in America with a sick children were forced to confront an awful choice; take the child to the doctor or hope for the best and put food on the table. The poorest and sickest among us were left to fend for themselves. Today, Medicaid offers a lifeline to 70 million Americans who otherwise could not afford health care, including one in three children.

“While we celebrate 52 years of success, we must take note of the struggle to protect Medicare and Medicaid from Republican-led efforts to dismantle the programs. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, repealing the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with Trumpcare would decimate Medicare and disproportionately hit lower-income people in the 50-64 age bracket.

“In its original form, Trumpcare would have slashed Medicaid by $880 billion to pay for massive tax cuts for the rich, while leaving 49 million Americans without health insurance. Even though the disastrous bill was ultimately defeated in Congress, we must remain vigilant to safeguard the programs on which so many have come to rely.

“The anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid is a celebration of the countless seniors, women, and children who have been helped by these life sustaining programs. While we say ‘happy birthday,’ we must continue the fight to make our health care stronger, and Americans heathier in the years to come.”