Four Ways Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02) Puts Virginians’ Health Care in Jeopardy

By Bridge2Blue

U.S. Representative  Jen Kiggans (R-VA 02), in her eagerness to bow to Donald Trump, seems to have forgotten that nurse practitioners like herself should care about peoples’ health.

Here are four ways her pro-Trump votes in Congress have undermined health care for tens of thousands of Virginians:

1. Kiggans voted in favor of the 2025 House bill that included the largest Medicaid cuts in U.S. history.  The heavy new work and mandatory reporting requirements for individuals to keep coverage could kick 188,000 Virginians off Medicaid in the next few years, leaving many  to rely on expensive emergency rooms or non-profit clinics.
2. Many Virginians have relied on tax credits to afford their health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act.  But Kiggans voted against extending those credits, meaning  thousands of Virginians are now facing  sharply higher premiums, and as many as 100,000 could lose  their insurance entirely.
3. As a result of these Medicaid cutbacks and higher insurance costs, some Virginia hospitals and health care providers will find that many patients no longer have bills covered by Medicaid or private insurance.  This could be the last straw for at least 10 rural hospitals — including one in her own district — that are at risk of closing in the near future.
4. Kiggans claims to be a champion of the many veterans who live in her district, but Trump’s  cuts to VA. budgets have resulted in severe shortages of VA medical personnel in the Hampton Roads area.  In 2025, the Trump administration cut 390 VA.  jobs in Virginia, including many nursing and medical technician positions. . As a result, veterans have to wait longer and travel farther for the services they need and deserve.

In November, voters in VA002 will have the opportunity to vote for a candidate who cares about making healthcare options available to their constituents.  That would not be Jen Kiggans.