Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is raising urgent concerns over a wave of health care changes under President Donald Trump, warning that “Trump’s massive cuts to Medicaid and the ACA will cost an estimated 50,000 lives a year.”
He also warned, “Now he’s refusing to release funds for SNAP, cutting off food aid to 42 million kids, parents, and grandparents in the richest country on Earth.”
During a recent appearance shared on X, Sanders said:
“Shortly, we’re going to be seeing, if we don’t prevent it, which we must, 15 million people losing their health insurance because of Trump’s massive cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.”
The Vermont senator described the situation as “literally unprecedented,” saying, “At a time when tens of millions of people are just hanging in… trying to feed their families or pay their rent or pay for health care,” the Trump administration is moving to gut safety nets.
Premiums Skyrocketing as Subsidies Expire
The health care upheaval comes as open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act marketplace began Nov. 1.
Roughly 24 million Americans use the marketplace for insurance, most of whom have relied on tax credits to lower their premiums.
But those subsidies are now set to expire at the end of the year.
Without the credits, premiums are expected to rise by an average of 114%, according to nonprofit health research group KFF. Some families could see increases of over $1,000 annually.
In Utah, small business owners Stacy Cox and her husband are facing a staggering jump.
“It’s horrific to actually see real numbers,” she told the BBC, noting that their monthly premium could rise from $495 to $2,168.
“It’s horribly stressful, because what I know is that the emergency plan is not going to cover what I need,” she said.
Cox has an autoimmune disease; her husband has hereditary cardiovascular issues.
SNAP Benefits Also in Jeopardy
Sanders criticized Trump for refusing to release emergency food aid during the ongoing federal government shutdown, accusing the administration of deleting guidance from the Department of Agriculture’s website and cutting off access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“Now what Trump is saying is we’re not going to provide SNAP benefits to over 10, 16 million children, their parents and their grandparents,” Sanders said.
“You’re going to see families literally in the richest country in the history of the world where the wealthiest people have never had it so good. Millions of people are going to say, how am I going to feed my children? This is unspeakable.”
While federal judges have since ruled the administration must fund SNAP using emergency reserves, Trump posted on Truth Social that conflicting court rulings have created legal uncertainty and said he has instructed government lawyers to seek clarification.
A Political Standoff
Democrats are pushing to extend the subsidies and reverse earlier Medicaid cuts as part of a deal to reopen the government.
Republicans, meanwhile, argue the health care issues should be handled separately after the shutdown ends.
Some conservatives, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), have broken ranks and expressed frustration over the loss of tax credits.
With the stakes high and time running out, Sanders said action is essential to stop what he sees as preventable harm to millions of Americans.
IMAGE CREDIT: “Bernie Sanders” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.