Democratic Party of Virginia Releases New Paper on Devastating Impact of Trump-Pence Policies on Southwest Virginia

Ahead of the Pence-Gillespie Campaign Event, Sen. Edwards and  Del. Rasoul Condemn Trump-Pence Administration’s New Effort to Sabotage Virginians’ Health Care

Democratic Party of Virginia Releases New Paper on Devastating Impact of Trump-Pence Policies on Southwest Virginia

The Pence-Gillespie Agenda Pushes Tax Cuts for the Rich While Slashing Investments in Health Care, Education and the Economy

Ahead of the visit, the Democratic Party of Virginia also released a new report outlining how the Trump-Pence administration’s budget and health care proposals would hurt Southwest Virginia.

“The President’s executive order is a dagger in the heart of health care coverage for the whole country — and in particular Virginia,” said State Senator John Edwards. “What the president did is a deliberate, politically-motivated effort to sabotage the insurance market and cause prices to rise and people not to be covered. What Ed Gillespie has done by bringing in Mike Pence is to join with the Trump-Pence agenda and I think Virginians ought to be outraged.”

“This administration is doing everything they can to sabotage health care and the insurance markets in Southwest Virginia. It has become difficult for people to have and retain coverage in our region of Virginia and these executive orders are making it more difficult on working families,” said Delegate Sam Rasoul. “We ask Mr. Gillespie to stand up for Southwest Virginia and talk with the Vice President  to work to expand health care and subsidies and try to stabilize the insurance markets instead of backing these terrible policies which put in danger tens of thousands of Virginians.”

“There’s no doubt about it, Ed Gillespie and Mike Pence have a lot in common,” said Frank Clemente, Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund Executive Director. “And when it comes to their tax plans, they are trying to rig the system to put more money into the hands of millionaires and billionaires, while doing nothing to help the middle class and actively hurting services that families rely on, such as public education and healthcare.”

The Trump-Pence administration’s budget would slash funding for Medicaid, workforce development and public education — slashing taxes for the wealthiest Americans.  Instead of speaking out against these policies, Gillespie has mimicked them by proposing a tax planthat would help the wealthiest while triggering dramatic cuts to education, health care, and workforce development.

Donald Trump and Mike Pence ran on a platform of “draining the swamp” and standing up for working Americans. Since taking office, they have effectively betrayed Southwest virginia by proposing massive tax cuts for the rich, sabotaging our health care, and trying to cut public schools and economic development programs. 

Trump’s Budget Proposal Would Jeopardize Programs That Help To Improve The Lives Of Southwest Virginia’s Families And Support The Local Economy 

TRUMP WANTED TO ELIMINATE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS, WHICH COULD CUT MILLIONS IN FUNDING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
Trump’s Proposed Budget Would Eliminate Community Development Block Grants, Which Provide 1,250 State And Local Recipients Across The Country With Money For Affordable Housing And Other Community Needs. “The largest of Trump’s $6.2 billion in proposed cuts to HUD is the elimination of the four-decade-old Community Development Block Grant program, which provides cities with money for affordable housing and other community needs, such as fighting blight, improving infrastructure and delivering food to homebound seniors. The $3 billion in block grants, which benefit 1,250 state and local recipients, make up half of the cuts to HUD.” [Wonkblog, Washington Post, 5/23/17]

September 2017: Cities And Counties Across Southwest Virginia Were Awarded At Least $5.1 Million In CDBG Funding. [Press Release, Office of Governor Terry McAuliffe, 9/15/17]

• 2017: Buchanan County Received $762,500 In CDBG Funding For The Swan Fork Waterline Extension. “Locality: Buchanan County; Project Name: Swan Fork Waterline Extension; CDBG Award: $762,500.” [Press Release, Office of Governor Terry McAuliffe, 9/15/17]

• 2017: Lee County Received $575,000 In CDBG Funding For The Frog Level Phase II Water Project. “Locality: Lee County; Project Name: Frog Level Phase II Water Project; CDBG Award: $575,000.” [Press Release, Office of Governor Terry McAuliffe, 9/15/17]

• 2017: The City Of Norton Received $700,000 In CDBG Funding For The City’s Business District Revitalization Efforts. “Locality: City of Norton; Project Name: City of Norton Business District Revitalization; CDBG Award: $700,000.” [Press Release, Office of Governor Terry McAuliffe, 9/15/17]

• 2017: The Town Of Pulaski Received $696,846 In CDBG Funding For The Town’s Business District Revitalization Efforts. “Locality: Town of Pulaski; Project Name: Pulaski Business District Revitalization; CDBG Award: $696,846.” [Press Release, Office of Governor Terry McAuliffe, 9/15/17]

• 2017: Rockbridge County Received $476,693 In CDBG Funding For The Greenhouse Village Housing Production Project. “Locality: Rockbridge County; Project Name: Greenhouse Village Housing Production Project; CDBG Award: $476,693.” [Press Release, Office of Governor Terry McAuliffe, 9/15/17]

• 2017: Washington County Received $362,500 In CDBG Funding For The Hidden Valley Water System II. “Locality: Washington County; Project Name: Hidden Valley Water System II; CDBG Award: $362,500.” [Press Release, Office of Governor Terry McAuliffe, 9/15/17]

• 2017: Wise County Received $750,000 In CDBG Funding For The Tacoma Sewer Project. “Locality: Wise County; Project Name: Tacoma Sewer Project; CDBG Award: $750,000.” [Press Release, Office of Governor Terry McAuliffe,9/15/17]

• 2017: The City Of Galax Received $800,000 In CDBG Funding For The Galax Bottom Neighborhood Revitalization Project. “Locality: City of Galax (Multi-year Funding); Project Name: Galax Bottom Neighborhood Revitalization (Phase II); CDBG Award: $800,000.” [Press Release, Office of Governor Terry McAuliffe, 9/15/17]

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA’S COUNTY AND CITY SCHOOLS RECEIVED AT LEAST $3.6 MILLION FROM THE 21^ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING GRANTS PROGRAM IN 2017

At Least 22 Schools In Southwest Virginia Received $3,626,202 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Center Grant Program In 2017.[Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• 2017-2018: Bedford Middle School Received $171,894 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Center Grant Program. “Applicant Agency Name: Bedford County Public Schools; Schools Served: Bedford Middle School; City/State/Zip: Bedford, VA 24523; Co-Applicant: Bedford Urban Garden, Inc.; Award: $171,894.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Moneta Elementary School In Bedford County Received $173,337 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program.“Applicant Agency Name: Bedford County Public Schools; Schools Served: Moneta Elementary School; City/State/Zip: Moneta, VA 24121; Co-Applicant: Smith Mountain Lake Good Neighbors, Inc.; Award: $173,337.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Christiansburg Middle School In Montgomery County Received $166,135 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program.“Applicant Agency Name: Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia; Schools Served: Christiansburg Middle School; City/State/Zip: Christiansburg, VA 24073; Co-Applicant: Montgomery County Public Schools; Award: $166,135.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Rocky Mount Elementary School In Franklin County Received $199,756 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program.“Applicant Agency Name: Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia; Schools Served: Rocky Mount Elementary School; City/State/Zip: Rocky Mount, VA 24151; Co-Applicant: Franklin County Public Schools; Award: $199,756.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Shawsville Middle School In Montgomery County Received $155,831 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program.“Applicant Agency Name: Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia; Schools Served: Shawsville Middle School; City/State/Zip: Christiansburg, VA 24073; Co-Applicant: Montgomery County Public Schools; Award: $155,831.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Virginia Middle School In Bristol City Received $173,047 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program. “Applicant Agency Name: Bristol City Public Schools; Schools Served: Virginia Middle School; City/State/Zip: Bristol, VA 24201-4198; Co-Applicant: Boys & Girls Club of Bristol; Award: $173,047.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Washington-Lee Elementary School In Bristol City Received $171,187 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program.“Applicant Agency Name: Bristol City Public Schools; Schools Served: Washington-Lee Elementary School; City/State/Zip: Bristol, VA 24201; Co-Applicant: Highlands Community Service Board; Award: $171,187.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Twin Valley Elementary Middle School In Buchanan County Received $90,340 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program. “Applicant Agency Name: Buchanan County Public Schools; Schools Served: Twin Valley Elementary Middle School; City/ State/Zip: Oakwood, VA 24631; Co-Applicant: Boys & Girls Club of Central Appalachia; Award: $90,350. [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Gladeville Elementary School In Carroll County Received $181,980 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program.“Applicant Agency Name: Carroll County Public Schools; Schools Served: Gladeville Elementary School; City/State/Zip: Carroll, VA 24333; Co-Applicant: Family Preservation Services, Inc.; Award: $181,980.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Joseph P. King Jr. Middle School In Franklin City Received $156,500 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program.“Applicant Agency Name: Franklin City Public Schools; Schools Served: Joseph P. King Jr. Middle School; City/State/Zip: Franklin, VA 23851-210; Co-Applicant: Community Outreach Coalition, Inc.; Award: $156,500.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Samuel P. Morton Elementary School  In Franklin City Received $157,500 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program. “Applicant Agency Name: Franklin City Public Schools; Schools Served: Samuel P. Morton Elementary School; City/State/Zip: Franklin, VA 23851-2100; Co-Applicant: Community Outreach Coalition, Inc.; Award: $157,500.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School In Henry County Received $166,642In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program.“Applicant Agency Name: Patrick Henry Community College – MHC After 3; Schools Served: Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School; Martinsville, VA 24112; Co-Applicant: Henry County Public Schools; Award: $166,642.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Laurel Park Middle School In Henry County Received $166,642 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program.“Applicant Agency Name: Patrick Henry Community College – MHC After 3; Schools Served: Laurel Park Middle School; City/State/Zip: Martinsville, VA 24112; Co-Applicant: Henry County Public Schools; Award: $166,642.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Martinsville High School In Martinsville City Received $113,904 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program.“Applicant Agency Name: Patrick Henry Community College – MHC After 3; Schools Served: Martinsville High School; City/State/Zip: Martinsville, VA 24112; Co-Applicant: Martinsville City Public Schools; Award: $113,904.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Dublin Elementary School In Pulaski County Received $180,000 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program.“Applicant Agency Name: Pulaski County Public Schools; Schools Served: Dublin Elementary School; City/State/Zip: Pulaski, VA 24301-5008; Co-Applicant: Beans and Rice, Inc.; Award: $180,000.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Castlewood High School In Russell County Received $173,898 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program. “Applicant Agency Name: Russell County Public Schools; Schools Served: Castlewood High School; City/State/Zip: Castlewood, VA 24224; Co-Applicant:  St. Paul Tomorrow, Inc.; Award: $173,898.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Honaker High School In Russell County Received $179,573 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program. “Applicant Agency Name: Russell County Public Schools; Schools Served: Honaker High School; City/State/Zip: Honaker, VA 24260; Co-Applicant: Southwest Virginia Community College; Award: $179,573.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Lebanon High School In Russell County Received $174,971 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program. “Applicant Agency Name: Russell County Public Schools; Schools Served: Lebanon High School; City/State/Zip: Lebanon, VA 24266; Co-Applicant: Russell County Sheriff’s Department; Award: $174,971.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]]

• Lebanon Primary School In Russell County Received $195,078 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program.“Applicant Agency Name: Russell County Public Schools; Schools Served: Lebanon Primary School; City/State/Zip: Lebanon, VA 24266; Co-Applicant: CGI; Award: $195,078.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Duffield Primary School In Scott County Received $159,329 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program. “Applicant Agency Name: Scott County Public Schools; Schools Served: Duffield Primary School; City/State/Zip: Duffield, VA 24244; Co-Applicant: Virginia Cooperative Extension – Scott County; Award: $159,329.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^stCentury Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Nickelsville Elementary School In Scott County Received $159,329 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program.“Applicant Agency Name: Scott County Public Schools; Schools Served: Nickelsville Elementary School; City/State/Zip: Nickelsville, VA 24271; Co-Applicant: Virginia Cooperative Extension – Scott County; Award: $159,329.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

• Shoemaker Elementary School In Scott County Received $159,329 In Funding From The 21^st Century Community Learning Grant Program.“Applicant Agency Name: Scott County Public Schools; Schools Served: Shoemaker Elementary School; City/State/Zip: Gate City, VA 24251; Co-Applicant: Virginia Cooperative Extension – Scott County; Award: $159,329.” [Virginia Department of Education, 21^st Century Community Learning Center Awards, accessed 10/12/17]

TRUMP’S BUDGET WOULD CUT JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS, INCLUDING WIOA GRANTS THAT HELP TRAIN WORKERS THROUGHOUT S.W. VIRGINIA, BY ALMOST 40 PERCENT

HEADLINE: “Trump Budget Proposes 40 Percent Cut To Job Training Programs.” [CNNMoney, 5/24/17]

Trump Wanted To Cut Workforce Innovation And Opportunity Act Grants For Adult, Youth, And Dislocated Worker Training Programs By Almost 40 Percent. “President Donald Trump May 23 requested a $1.3 billion cut in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act grants for adult, youth, and dislocated worker training programs that have previously garnered bipartisan support. That would represent a 39 percent reduction.” [Bloomberg BNA, 5/24/17]

• The Workforce Innovation And Opportunity Act (WIOA), Which Enjoyed Strong Bipartisan Support, Has Funded 33 Job Training Programs Across The United States Since 2014. “WIOA, which funds 33 job training programs across the U.S., was signed into law in 2014 after overwhelming approval in the Senate (vote count of 95-3) and the House (415-6).” [Bloomberg BNA,5/24/17]

The Southwest Virginia Workforce Development Board Provides Workforce Services To Southwest Virginia Residents Under WIOA’s Adult, Dislocated Worker, And Youth Programs. “Funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Southwest Virginia Workforce Development Board offers re-employment and training programs designed to assist adults, dislocated workers, and youth to enter into high-demand occupations and to gain livable wages within their geographical areas.” [Southwest Virginia Workforce Development Board, accessed 10/12/17]

TRUMP PROPOSED ELIMINATING THE APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION, WHICH HAS SUPPORTED 38 PROJECTS THAT BENEFIT VIRGINIA’S 25 APPALACHIAN COUNTIES – MOST OF WHICH ARE IN THE S.W.

Trump’s Budget Proposal Called For The Elimination Of The Appalachian Regional Commission. “In the budget, Trump proposes a reduction in funding and eventual elimination of 18 independent agencies—those that exist outside of federal departments headed by a Cabinet secretary. One of those agencies is the Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal-state partnership focused on economic development in a region encompassing all of West Virginia and parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Its inclusion is notable, because it serves a region that largely supported Trump, and which he has promised to revive economically.” [The Atlantic,5/23/17]

• Cuts To The Appalachian Regional Commission Threaten Programs That Provide Job Training For Unemployed Coal Miners, Broadband Technology And High-Tech Medical Equipment. “Atop Rogers’ list of worries is Trump’s proposed elimination of the $146 million Appalachian Regional Commission that has helped bring projects such as job training to unemployed coal miners, a broadband technology center to Kentucky and high-tech medical equipment to impoverished regions.” [Reuters, 5/23/17]

On Average, The ARC Supports 353 Virginia Jobs And $9.2 Million In Earnings. “The production impacts for Virginia naturally follow the investment trend, which results in larger impacts in earlier years. On average annually, the ARC funds supported 353 jobs and $9.2 million (in 2013 dollars) in earnings. The economic model examined only ARC investments so these estimate job and earnings impacts reflect only the results from the ARC portion of larger projects. Given that the average leverage ratio may be several times the ARC investment, the actual project impacts may be several times higher than these estimates.” [Technical Report, Appalachian Regional Commission,February 2015]

Working With The VA Department Of Housing And Community Development, ARC Supported 38 Projects And Invested $17 Million To Benefit Virginia’s 25 Appalachian Counties. “In partnership with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, ARC has supported 38 projects in Virginia totaling $17.0 million. These investments have been matched by nearly $16.3 million and will attract an additional $22.0 million in leveraged private investments in Virginia. They will also create or retain nearly 1,350 jobs, train and educate over 800 students and workers, and benefit the 765,000 residents in Virginia’s 25 Appalachian counties.” [Virginia State Profile, Appalachian Regional Commission, 2017]

THIS YEAR, SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA’S CITIES AND COUNTIES WERE EXPECTED TO RECEIVE AT LEAST $2.5 MILLION IN ARC GRANTS

2017: Southwest Virginia Counties And Cities Were Expected To Receive Over $2.5 Million From The Appalachian Regional Commission Grants. “Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced today his recommendation for more than $2.7 million in Appalachian Regional Commission awards for 10 projects with the bulk of the money going to Southwest Virginia. The eight projects recommended for Southwest Virginia were: Abingdon, Virginia – $500,000 for William King Museum of Art cultural campus development; Abingdon, Virginia – more than $75,800 for People Inc. of Virginia’s Project Discovery; United Way of Southwest Virginia – more than $99,900 for early childhood workforce development; St. Paul, Virginia – $300,000 for The Lyric Theater restoration project; Wise County – $500,000 for the county Public Service Authority’s Tacoma sewer project; Lee County – $60,000 for LENOWISCO Planning District Commission’s economic assessment study of the western part of the county; Lee County – $500,000 for a water project; Tazewell County – $500,000 for Falls Mills Adult Day Care.” [Bristol Herald Courier, 6/12/17]

• Gov. McAuliffe Recommended That The Appalachian Regional Commission Award Over $575,000 To Abingdon For William King Museum Of Art Cultural Campus Development And People Inc. Of Virginia’s Project Discovery. “Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced today his recommendation for more than $2.7 million in Appalachian Regional Commission awards for 10 projects with the bulk of the money going to Southwest Virginia. The eight projects recommended for Southwest Virginia were: Abingdon, Virginia – $500,000 for William King Museum of Art cultural campus development; Abingdon, Virginia – more than $75,800 for People Inc. of Virginia’s Project Discovery.” [Bristol Herald Courier, 6/12/17]

Friends Of Southwest Virginia In Abingdon, VA Received Funding From The Appalachian Regional Commission To Boost The Region’s Outdoor Recreation Industry. “Friends of Southwest Virginia in Abingdon, Virginia, received an ARC POWER grant for the Building Appalachian Spring: Growing the Economy of Southwest Virginia project. This comprehensive project will significantly enhance the outdoor recreation industry as an economic driver in a four-county region in southwestern Virginia. ARC funds are being used to develop four access points to the New River that strategically link the river to nearby communities’ hospitality and tourism services; construct a 4,000 square foot Gateway Center to the High Knob Recreation Area – providing visitors with more centralized access to numerous nearby recreation assets; build an Appalachian Trail Center in downtown Damascus; and create a 30-mile, multi-use trail connecting Breaks Interstate Park directly to downtown Haysi’s business district.” [Virginia State Profile, Appalachian Regional Commission, 2017]

• ARC’s Investment In Abingdon Was Expected To Increase Travel Expenditures By $30 Million Over The Next Five Years And Create 60 New Business And 200 New Jobs. “Friends of Southwest Virginia in Abingdon, Virginia, received an ARC POWER grant for the Building Appalachian Spring: Growing the Economy of Southwest Virginia project… The project will increase travel expenditures in project locations by $30 million over the next five years, create 60 new businesses and 200 new jobs.” [Virginia State Profile, Appalachian Regional Commission, 2017]

TRUMP CALLED FOR A 20% CUT TO THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, WHICH IN FY 2017 PROVIDED OVER $26 MILLION IN GRANTS TO BLACKSBURG UNIVERSITIES AND BUSINESSES FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH

Trump’s FY 18 Budget Proposed A $5.8 Billion Cut To The National Institutes Of Health. “President Trump’s 2018 budget request, delivered to Congress on Tuesday with the title ‘A New Foundation for American Greatness,’ has roiled the medical and science community with a call for massive cuts in spending on scientific research, medical research, disease prevention programs and health insurance for children of the working poor… The administration would cut the overall National Institutes of Health budget from $31.8 billion to $26 billion.” [Washington Post, 5/23/17]

• Trump’s FY 18 Budget Proposal Would Cut The NIH’s Budget By Nearly 20%. “Trump proposes dramatic cuts to NIH, CDC budgets. The proposal to reduce NIH’s budget by nearly 20 percent is nearly identical to the so-called skinny budget the administration released in March.” [Politico, 5/23/17]

FY 2017: Two Universities And Businesses In Blacksburg, VA Received A Combined $26,181,093 In Grant Funding From The NIH. [FY 2017 National Institute of Health Awards, Department Of Health & Human Services, updated 10/9/17]

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University Received 78 Grants From NIH Worth $25,960,493. “Organization: Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University; City: Blacksburg; State: VA; Country: United States: Awards: 78; Funding: $25,960,493.” [FY 2017 National Institute of Health Awards, Department Of Health & Human Services, updated 10/9/17]

• Synthonics, Inc. In Blacksburg Received A $220,600 Grant From NIH.“Organization: Synthonics, Inc.; City: Blacksburg; State: VA; Country: United States; Awards: 1; Funding: $220,600.” [FY 2017 National Institute of Health Awards, Department Of Health & Human Services, updated 10/9/17]

TRUMP’S BUDGET WOULD SLASH FUNDING FOR THE SUPERFUND CLEANUP PROGRAM, WHICH HELPS TO RESTORE FOUR SITES IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA THAT ARE AMONG THE COUNTRY’S MOST POLLUTED  

Trump Wanted To Cut Funding For The Superfund Cleanup Program, Which Helps Restore Some Of The Nation’s Most Polluted Sites. “It would slash funding for the Superfund cleanup program, which helps restore some of the nation’s most polluted sites, despite the fact that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt lists it as one of his priorities.” [Washington Post, 5/23/17]

There Are 4 National Priority List Superfund Sites In Southwest Virginia’s Counties And Cities. [Superfund Search, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, accessed 10/12/17]

• Dixie Caverns County Landfill In Salem, VA Is A National Priority List Superfund Site. “City: Salem; County: Roanoke; State: Virginia; Zip Code: 24153; Site Name: Dixie Caverns County Landfill.” [Superfund Search, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, accessed 10/12/17]

• Kim-Stan Landfill In Selma, VA Is A National Priority List Superfund Site. “City: Selma; County: Alleghany; State: Virginia: Zip: 24474; Site Name: Kim-Stan Landfill.” [Superfund Search, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, accessed10/12/17]

• Mathews Electroplating In Roanoke Is A National Priority List Superfund Site. “City: Roanoke; County: Roanoke City; State: Virginia; Zip: 24153; Site Name: Mathews Electroplating.” [Superfund Search, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, accessed 10/12/17]

• Saltville Waste Disposal Ponds In Saltville, VA Is A National Priority Superfund Site. “City: Saltville; County: Smyth; State: Virginia; Zip: 24370; Site Name: Saltville Waste Disposal Ponds.” [Superfund Search, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, accessed 10/12/17]

Trump’s Proposed Medicaid Cuts Would Have A Devastating Impact On Southwest Virginia’s Rural Hospitals, Nursing Homes, School Districts, And Its Fight Against The Opioid Crisis

DESPITE PROMISES NOT TO CUT THE PROGRAM, TRUMP’S BUDGET BACKED A $1.3 TRILLION CUT TO MEDICAID, WHICH 11% OF VIRGINIANS, ITS ECONOMY AND S.W. VIRGINIA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS RELY ON

Trump’s FY 18 Budget Proposed A $600 Billion Cut To Medicaid Over 10 Years, Despite Trump’s Campaign Pledge Not To Cut The Program. “The president’s budget plan calls for more than $1 trillion in cuts to a wide range of social programs with millions of beneficiaries, from farm subsidies to federal student aid. That includes a $600 billion cut to Medicaid over 10 years, despite Trump’s repeated promises on the campaign trail not to cut the program.” [Politico, 5/23/17]

Trump’s Budget Called For Medicaid Cuts Of Its Own And Further Assumed That The $839 Billion Cut In The House Republicans’ Health Care Repeal Would Become Law As Well. “President Trump’s budget not only assumes the huge Medicaid cuts in the House Republican bill to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act (ACA) but dramatically enlarges them. That House bill — the American Health Care Act (AHCA) — would cut federal Medicaid spending by $839 billion over ten years, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates, by effectively ending the ACA’s Medicaid expansion and converting virtually all of Medicaid to a per capita cap or block grant. That would mean 14 million fewer low-income people enrolled in Medicaid by 2026. The Trump budget would go further, cutting Medicaid by as much as $1.3 trillion over the next decade, we estimate (see graph).” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 5/23/17]

Kaiser Family Foundation: “In 2015, 11% Of People In VA Were Covered By Medicaid/CHIP.” [Medicaid in Virginia, Kaiser Family Foundation, June 2017]

• KFF: “77% Of Adult And Child Medicaid Enrollees In VA Are In Families With A Worker.” [Medicaid in Virginia, Kaiser Family Foundation, June 2017]

TRUMP’S BUDGET CONVERTS MEDICAID TO A BLOCK GRANT, WHICH COULD REDUCE SERVICES FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA’S ELDERLY AND DISABLED AND THREATEN THE JOBS OF SERVICE PROVIDERS
Trump’s Budget Called For Converting Medicaid To A Block Grant Program, Which Could Reduce Services For The Elderly And Disabled. “The budget mirrors the changes in Medicaid included in the health care overhaul bill passed by the House earlier this month… Medicaid pays for services — including personal care, shopping or cooking for the elderly, and occupational therapy and work support for the disabled — that allow people to continue to live on their own. Under the law, those services are considered optional. But Medicaid is required to pay for nursing home and institutional care. ‘We’ll see a return to more people with disabilities and more older adults not having access to services that allow them to remain at home,” says Barbara Beckert, director of the Milwaukee office of Disability Rights Wisconsin. ‘Instead, we may see people forced into institutions, forced into nursing homes.’” [NPR, 5/23/17]

BCRA’s Medicaid Cuts Could Shut Down Nursing Homes Across The Country And Trigger Widespread Layoffs In The Health Care Industry. “The Better Care Reconciliation Act would reduce the country’s Medicaid spending by $772 billion over the next decade, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected in a report Monday. That could shut down nursing homes across the country, health-care leaders argue, and trigger widespread layoffs in one of the nation’s fastest-growing fields of employment.” [Washington Post, 6/27/17]

• Medicaid Covers 3 In 5 Nursing Home Residents In Virginia, And 1 In 3 People With Disabilities. [Medicaid in Virginia, Kaiser Family Foundation, June 2017]

• FY 2016: The Carilion New River Valley Medical Center And The HCA Virginia Health System Were The Fourth And Eighth Largest Employers In Montgomery County, VA, Each Employing Between 500 And 999 People. [Table 12, County of Montgomery, VA Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, 12/9/16]

• FY 2016: Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital Was The Eighth Largest Employer In Franklin County, VA, Serving As A Job Provider For Nearly 2% Of The County’s Total Employment. [Table 15, County of Franklin, VA Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, 12/15/16]

HEADLINE: “Bipartisan Fear Of Medicaid Block Grant In Virginia.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1/16/17]

• Virginia Administration Officials And Republican Budget Leaders Agreed That Block Granting Medicaid Could Put Virginia At A Severe Disadvantage In Funding Services Ranging From Children’s Health To Treatment Of Mental Illness. “The potential replacement of the Affordable Care Act with a federal Medicaid block grant alarms both the General Assembly Republicans who oppose the federal health law and the administration of Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat who supports it. Administration officials and Republican budget leaders agreed Monday that the adoption of a block grant to replace the Medicaid entitlement program could put Virginia at a severe disadvantage in funding services ranging from children’s health to treatment of mental illness.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1/16/17]

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS CURRENTLY RELY ON AT LEAST $5.4 MILLION IN FEDERAL MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENTS TO HELP PAY FOR MANDATED SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES

[Press Release, Office of Sen. Tim Kaine, 6/21/17]

If Federal Medicaid Funding Is Cut, School Districts Would Still Be Required To Provide Services And Therefore Need To Find New Local Streams Of Funding. “The concern parents and districts have is that if Medicaid funding decreases overall, reimbursements will be cut and costs will be shifted to school districts. They’d have to find the money somewhere else.” [Roanoke Times, 7/1/17]

RURAL HOSPITALS AND HEALTH SYSTEMS IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA WOULD BE DEVASTATED BY TRUMP AND REPUBLICANS’ PROPOSED CUTS TO MEDICAID
HEADLINE: “Cuts Threaten Rural Hospitals ‘Hanging On By Their Fingernails.’” [CNN, 7/1/17]

• Health Care Providers Expressed Worry That GOP Health Care Repeal Legislation And Their Cuts To Medicaid Could Push Rural Hospitals To Close. “Nationwide, about 80 rural hospitals have closed since 2010, according to the Chartis Center for Rural Health. Another 673 rural hospitals are in danger of shutting their doors. Many providers worry that the newly proposed health care legislation — and in particular its proposed cuts to Medicaid — could push a number of hospitals over the edge.” [CNN, 7/1/17]

• Even Before Any Proposed Cuts In Federal Funding, Rural Communities Are Already Struggling To Maintain Their Health Care Facilities And Attract Doctors And Health Care Management Professionals. “And under the Republican bill, existing funds could be at stake. Yet even without the potential cuts in federal funding, rural communities are already struggling to maintain their health care facilities and attract doctors and health care management professionals.” [NBC News, 7/2/17]

Bloomberg: “Rural Health Care Could Take A Deep Hit Under Proposed Medicaid Overhauls, Analysts Are Warning, In A Way That Could Undermine The Role Of The Safety-Net Health Insurance.” [Bloomberg, 5/23/17]

The President Of The Maine Hospital Association Called The Republican Health Care Repeal Bills “A Rural Cleansing.” “‘The level of cuts that they are talking about are breathtaking,’ said Steven Michaud, president of the Maine Hospital Association, noting that many of the state’s 26 rural hospitals are already on precarious financial footing. ‘We just do not see how you can take that amount of money out of rural Maine without severe consequences. And we’re not alarmist normally’ … ‘This is rural cleansing, because that’s what going to happen,’ said Michaud, the Maine Hospital Association president. He pointed to a hospital in Calais that recently announced it was shuttering its obstetrics department and would no longer deliver babies, as an example of what is in store should the GOP plans become law. What young family is going to live in a place where they don’t deliver babies? he asked. ‘Those are the real-world implications. That is a recipe for the downward spiral of rural areas.’” [Boston Globe, 7/3/17]

Boston Globe: The Hit That Rural Areas Would Take Under The House And Senate Bills Would Be “A Stark Political Irony For President Trump, Who Was Lifted To The White House By The Votes Of Rural America, Part Of The America Who ‘Will Be Forgotten No Longer.’” “Based on median age, the folks of Piscataquis County also are among the oldest in the nation, with many suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, mental health issues, and, more recently, struggles with opioid addiction. The county’s snapshot is repeated across the country, where rural health care advocates and hospital administrators say the Senate and House bills designed to replace the Affordable Care Act would deal a devastating blow to a fragile network. It’s a stark political irony for President Trump, who was lifted to the White House by the votes of rural America, part of the America who ‘will be forgotten no longer,’ as Trump vowed in his inaugural address.” [Boston Globe, 7/3/17]

THE CEOs OF ROANOKE-AREA HOSPITALS HAD MAJOR CONCERNS WITH THE GOP REPEAL LEGISLATION

HEADLINE: “Carilion Chief Says Uncertainty Over Health Care Bill Keeps Hospitals On Alert.” [Roanoke Times, 3/29/17]

• The CEO Of Carilion Clinic On The Health Care Repeal Efforts: “Not Being Able To Forecast Where You’re Going, What Your Revenue Sources Are, Puts You In A State Of Uncertainty That Is Problematic.”“The unsettled health care debate leaves hospitals lacking the one factor needed for a healthy bottom line. ‘Predictability in our business is stability. Not being able to forecast where you’re going, what your revenue sources are, puts you in a state of uncertainty that is problematic,’ said Carilion Clinic CEO Nancy Agee.” [Roanoke Times, 3/29/17]

Carilion Clinic Had Major Concerns With The AHCA. “Carilion Clinic CEO Nancy Agee says she was stunned by developments in Washington last week. And now, she’s unsure of what comes next. ‘I wish my crystal ball could give us the answer,’ Agee told WDBJ7 Wednesday morning. Like many other hospitals, Carilion Clinic had major concerns with the American Health Care Act.” [WDBJ, 3/30/17]

• The CEO Of Carilion Clinic Said She Was Concerned By Cuts To Medicaid Funding In The House Republicans’ Repeal Legislation. “Still, Agee said she became increasingly concerned about last-minute deals that would have cut Medicaid funds. ‘Things worsened in my mind as they got closer to the vote,’ she said.” [Roanoke Times, 3/29/17]

The CEO Of Salem’s LewisGale Hospital Called The Affordable Care Act A “Substantial Social Program.” Q: “With impending repeal of the Affordable Care Act, so much is unknown as to what might replace it. How is LewisGale responding to the potential financial implications?” BAUMGARDNER: “Clearly it’s something we have to pay attention to. We have 18 million Americans covered under the Affordable Care Act. That is a very substantial social program. What is going to happen?” [Roanoke Times, 2/19/17]

BCRA WOULD HAVE COST THE NATION’S RURAL HOSPITALS A COLLECTIVE $1.3 BILLION IN LOST REVENUE IN THE FIRST YEAR, WITH THOSE IN NON-EXPANSION STATES – LIKE VIRGINIA – MORE LIKELY TO CLOSE

The Senate Bill Would Cost The Nation’s Roughly 2,200 Rural Hospitals A Collective $1.3 Billion In Lost Revenue In The First Year, Triggering 34,000 Job Losses. “The Senate bill — if it became law — would cost the nation’s roughly 2,200 rural hospitals a collective $1.3 billion in lost revenue in the first year, according to an analysis done by the Chartis Center for Rural Health, an advisory firm. The bill would trigger 34,000 job losses in the first year, according to the study.” [Boston Globe, 7/3/17]

Hospitals In Small Towns Depend Heavily On Medicaid Funding, And Rural Hospitals In States That Have Not Expanded Medicaid Are Even More Likely To Close If Medicaid Is Cut. “A major issue would be the bill’s federal cuts to Medicaid, the program for people who have low incomes and have disabilities. The proportion of rural people who qualify for Medicaid is higher than in many cities … Hospitals in small towns depend heavily on Medicaid funding and many have already closed. Rural hospitals in states that have not expanded Medicaid are even more likely to close.” [CQ, 6/21/17]

• HEADLINE: “Virginia Could Lose Big On Medicaid Funding Under Obamacare Replacement.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch, 3/13/17]

• HEADLINE: “State Says Senate Health Plan Puts Virginia At Disadvantage, ‘Harsher’ Than House Proposal.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch,6/22/17]

AS THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC RAGES IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA, TRUMP’S BUDGET AND THE GOP REPEAL BILLS SOUGHT TO CUT MEDICAID, WHICH PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN COMBATTING THE OPIOID CRISIS

HEADLINE: “Opioid Epidemic Raging In Rural Southwest Virginia.”[Washington Times, 7/12/17]

• Three Southwest Virginia Towns – Martinsville, Norton City And Galax – Ranked In The Top Five Jurisdictions In The Country With The Highest Number Of Opioid Prescriptions Per Capita. “Three Southwest Virginia towns are among the top five jurisdictions with the highest number of opioid prescriptions per capita in the nation, a new report says. Martinsville, Virginia, topped the list, having doled out nearly 4,090 morphine milligrams equivalent per capita in 2015, according to a report by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Norton City, Virginia, was second, with 3,374 morphine milligrams equivalent per capita. Galax, Virginia, ranked fourth, with 3,119 morphine milligrams equivalent per capita. The average milligrams equivalent for the nation in 2015 was 640.” [Washington Times, 7/12/17]
• Roanoke County Police: In Comparison To All Of 2016, The Number Of Drug Overdoses More Than Doubled In Roanoke County Within Just The First 7.5 Months Of 2017. “Police Chief Howard Hall updated the Board of Supervisors on the latest statistics during its Tuesday afternoon meeting… Hall also went over numbers that show the county is facing an increase in opioid overdoses, like the rest of southwest Virginia. Compared to all of 2016, the number of both deadly overdoses and cases where the victims survived have more than doubled through the first 7 1/2 months of this year. He said they’re main goal is to track how the drugs are getting into the area.” [WSLS 10, 8/22/17]

Trump’s FY 18 Budget Proposed A $600 Billion Cut To Medicaid Over 10 Years. “The president’s budget plan calls for more than $1 trillion in cuts to a wide range of social programs with millions of beneficiaries, from farm subsidies to federal student aid. That includes a $600 billion cut to Medicaid over 10 years, despite Trump’s repeated promises on the campaign trail not to cut the program.” [Politico, 5/23/17]

Graham-Cassidy Would Cut Medicaid Spending By Hundreds Of Billions Of Dollars Over 10 Years, Impose A Per Capita Cap And Reduce Medicaid Enrollment By At Least 15 Million People. “And like the repeal bill that failed to make it out of the Senate this summer, the new bill would put a per capita cap on all of Medicaid, reducing spending by hundreds of billions of dollars over 10 years and reducing Medicaid enrollment by at least 15 million people, according to the Congressional Budget Office.” [TalkingPointsMemo, 9/13/17]

Like The House’s AHCA, The Senate’s BCRA Repeal Proposal Converted Medicaid To Per Capita System And Ended The ACA’s Expansion, Which Is Likely To Result It An $800+ Billion Cut To The Program Over 10 Years.“Second, and more fundamentally, the bill completely overhauls Medicaid’s financing. It does so by converting Medicaid to a ‘per-capita cap’ system, in which the federal government would no longer commit to open-ended funding of enrollees’ health bills. The Senate bill has not yet been scored by the Congressional Budget Office, but similar changes to Medicaid in the House bill (combined with the rollback of the expansion) were scored at cutting $880 billion from the program over the next 10 years — a truly massive amount.” [Vox, 6/22/17]

• CBPP: By Converting Medicaid To A Per-Capita Cap Program, Funding Cuts Would Be Magnified As Spending Would Not Automatically Rise In Response To Public Health Emergencies Like The Opioid Epidemic. “Like the House bill, the Senate bill would convert virtually the entire Medicaid program to a per capita cap. That means that rather than rising with need, federal Medicaid funding would be limited by a cap that would cover a falling share of a state’s actual costs over time. Cuts under a per capita cap would be deepest precisely when need is greatest, since federal Medicaid funding would no longer rise automatically in response to public health emergencies like the opioid epidemic.” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 6/24/17]

2013: IN VIRGINIA, MEDICAID – A PROGRAM THAT COVERS 34% OF AMERICANS ADDICTED TO OPIOIDS – SPENT $10 MILLION ON OPIOID USE AND MISUSE IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA ALONE

Medicaid Covers 34% Of The 2.66 Million Americans Addicted To Opioids. “The Senate bill could also worsen the opioid epidemic through changes to Medicaid, a program that covers 34 percent of the 2.66 million Americans addicted to opioids. The Senate bill would phase out the Medicaid expansion, which covered millions of low-income, childless Americans, beginning in 2021. It would also cut Medicaid in other ways, including by capping the amount states can spend on people enrolled in the public health insurance program.” [Vox, 6/22/17]

2013: $10 Million Of The $26 Million Spent By Virginia’s Medicaid Program On Opioid Use And Misuse Occurred In Southwest Virginia. “Virginia’s Medicaid program spent $26 million on opioid use and misuse in 2013, with $10 million of this spending occurring in Southwest Virginia.” [Report Prepared For The House Of Delegates Of Virginia: Opioid Crisis Among Virginia Medicaid Beneficiaries, VCU School of Medicine,January 2016]

• As Of 2013, Virginia’s Medicaid Program Spent $26 Million On Opioid Use And Misuse, While At Least 40,000 Adults In The Program Had A Substance Abuse Disorder. “A January report to Virginia’s House of Delegates said the state’s Medicaid program spent $26 million on opioid use and misuse in 2013 and at least 40,000 adults in Virginia’s Medicaid program have a substance abuse disorder. The Virginia Board of Medicine has responded, disciplining 119 doctors for their narcotics prescribing practices from 2011 to 2015. That’s five out of every 1,000 doctors in the state, a rate that’s second only to Kentucky’s among the seven states studied by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a six-month investigation.” [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/2/16]