From SEIU, Protect Our Care, and the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis on a press conference yesterday in which “Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville)…joined The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, SEIU Virginia State Council and Protect Our Care Virginia to discuss congressional Republicans’ plan to slash trillions from Medicaid in order to hand out $4.6 trillion in tax breaks to the wealthy.”
Senator Creigh Deeds Joins The Commonwealth Institute, SEIU Virginia State Council and Protect Our Care in Calling on Congressional Republicans Not to Cut Medicaid for Virginians
Watch the event HERE and view photos from the event HERE.
RICHMOND, Va. – Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) yesterday joined The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, SEIU Virginia State Council and Protect Our Care Virginia to discuss congressional Republicans’ plan to slash trillions from Medicaid in order to hand out $4.6 trillion in tax breaks to the wealthy.
Virginia is one of nine states with a trigger law that will automatically disenroll the entire Medicaid expansion population (more than 600,000 Virginians, or roughly 7% of the state) if federal Medicaid reimbursement levels for that population drop below the current 90%. Fortunately, Senator Deeds and Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee Ghazala Hashmi have both introducedbudget amendments that will remove the trigger language so that the commonwealth is not forced to automatically take health care away from more than 600,000 people if federal reimbursement levels fall even one percentage point.
“In 2018, we recognized that there was a potential for this,” said Senator Deeds. “What if the federal government reneges on their promise? We know since we’ve had Medicaid, since 1965, the federal government has never reneged on their promise. Will they under this president? Maybe that’s the precedent he wants to set. So over 600,000 people are at risk of losing access to health care because of this irresponsible act. It is a federal responsibility. We’ve got to hold their feet to the fire and make sure that the federal government addresses this. But this is something that is going to affect real Virginians.”
“Medicaid is one of the most powerful tools that we have to fight health disparities, poverty and pandemics. Without Medicaid expansion, Virginia would not be leading the South in the percentage of people who have health insurance,” said Senator Hashmi. “Virginia can and must be a leader in the wake of new federal incompetence. Donald Trump and congressional Republicans will continue to prioritize themselves and their ultra-wealthy friends over hardworking people. They do not care if the Medicaid portal doesn’t work because they do not care about Medicaid here in Virginia.”
“Medicaid expansion has removed barriers to care, particularly for many people who are Black and Latino,” said Ashley Kenneth, President and CEO of The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. “Roughly one in five adults enrolled through expansion are parents, and we know that when parents have health coverage, their children are also more likely to have health coverage. Expanding health care access through Medicaid expansion is about more than health coverage. It’s also about economic security. For people who are eligible due to expansion, Medicaid enrollment is associated with decreased concern about housing, food, health care costs and more.”
“Medicaid makes it possible for people with disabilities and elderly Virginians to receive the care they need and deserve,” said Julia Newton, a home care worker and member of SEIU Virginia 512. “Home care workers make that care possible. We are essential workers who are paid through Medicaid in order to provide assistance for your loved ones. We make it possible for people to receive care and stay in their homes. But now congressional Republicans are trying to gut Medicaid funding in order to pay for tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy. Any reduction from the federal government for Medicaid expansion would mean Virginia automatically ends the program. This would leave hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom seek home care services, without care, and that is cruel and unjust.”
“I am self-employed, and I lived without health insurance for years,” said Richmond resident Katina Moss. “But thanks to a decision from Virginia’s General Assembly to expand Medicaid, cost was no longer a barrier to seeking the care that I needed. Medicaid allows me to care for my parents without having to sacrifice my own health and well-being. I really don’t see how I would be able to go to my doctor’s appointments, or, if necessary, get prescription medications if my coverage were taken away. There are over 630,000 people who are in my same situation, keeping an eye on what is happening with federal Medicaid funding and wondering, will we have health coverage later this year, this month, or even tomorrow?”
Most Americans have favorable views toward Medicaid and overwhelmingly oppose cuts to the program. For years, rising health care costs have been on the top of people’s minds, and they have been a core part of the public’s economic concerns.
You can view the full event here, view photos from the event here, and learn more about the GOP threats to Medicaid here.
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Protect Our Care is dedicated to making high-quality, affordable and equitable health care a right, and not a privilege, for everyone in America. We educate the public, influence policy, support health care champions and hold politicians accountable. We fight to expand access to affordable, high-quality health insurance, lower the cost of health care for individuals and families, and reduce inequities in health care based on gender, income, race, ethnicity, geography, or sexual preference.
I dare anyone to watch the video from this morning in the Virginia State Senate, specifically the debate over SB1040 (” Amends certain renewable energy portfolio standard program requirements for Dominion Energy Virginia, including the annual percentage of program requirements to be met with behind-the meter solar, wind, or anaerobic digestion resources of three megawatts or less located in the Commonwealth. The bill also removes the requirement for a solar-powered or wind-powered generation facility to have a capacity of no less than 50 kilowatts to qualify for a third party power purchase agreement under a pilot program.”), and make a case that Virginia Republicans are serious lawmakers. Because, actually, they’re a bunch of clowns.
Check it out and decide for yourself, as Virginia Republican Senators Ryan McDougle and Mark Obenshain throw out straw man after red herring, right-wing talking point after Fox “News”-style blather, nonsensical understanding of Econ 101, even referring to the “Gulf of AMERICA” (that alone marks the individual, in this case far-right-extremist Sen. Obenshain, as a non-serious individual), while Democrats talk about facts, science, empirical evidence, return on investment, etc. The contrast between these two parties couldn’t be greater.
By the way, in the end, SB1040 passed the Senate overwhelmingly, with only the most wackadoodle Republicans voting against it…
In fact, this should be a MEDICAL decision by MEDICAL professionals in close coordination with the PARENTS/FAMILY. Instead, anti-transgender Republicans like Donald Trump and Jason Miyares want the *government* to be making these decisions. Also, calling it “chemical and surgical mutilation of children” and threatening “hospitals and institutions that continue to mutilate children” with “significant legal risk” and “substantial financial exposure” seems just a wee bit over the top. In fact:
“Trans minors are treated on a case-by-case basis and are legally required to receive their parents’ or guardian’s consent to receive any medical intervention.”
” Before a child starts puberty, medical standards developed by WPATH and other medical organizations recommend that a child receive therapy and social transition, or changing their hairstyle, clothing, name and pronouns.”
“Once a child begins puberty, they may start puberty blockers if they have persistent gender dysphoria, which is the medical term for the severe emotional distress caused by the misalignment between one’s gender identity and birth sex. Teenagers might start hormone therapy, and, in rare cases, some older teens may receive a double mastectomy, where both breasts are removed. “
Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04), speaking on CNN last night (see video and a partial transcript/highlights, below):
“Absolutely not [the right time for Trump to attack DEI, etc.]. And first of all, what he should have done is what I want to do right now, and that is to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family members who are still waiting to be reunited with their loved ones, a hearty thank you to the first responders who have been working to recover those bodies under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. That is what the American people needed yesterday – to hear our leader to provide comfort and not to speculate and to bring out his favorite boogeyman, as you said, and to jump to conclusions that Black people or women working at the FAA caused this tragedy.”
“Because what he always does is, rather than looking at the facts, rather than being responsible and letting the investigation happen, look at what actually caused this accident and then do something to make sure that something like this never happens again, he takes this opportunity to politicize it and to stoke division in this country,which he’s been doing since day one of this administration and since he first ran for president nine years ago.”
“[Having air traffic controllers take a “buyout”] would have a huge impact on what we already have as a shortage. And you already have workers that are stressed and trying to meet the needs to keep the American people safe. He also ousted the head of the FAA and has created chaos since he’s come into office. What we need right now is to let the NTSB do its job to find out what cause or causes occurred to lead to this tragedy, and then we need to take action to make sure that something like this never happens again.”
“All of the Democratic members of the Virginia delegation have been speaking out for a long time, that this airport is already too congested. You’ve talked about the complicated traffic patterns here. We all asked our committees not to put new slots in. We all voted against the bill for that very reason.”
“If this administration takes the responsible road and says, we are going to look at the facts, we are going to look at what actually caused this tragedy and act to make sure it never happens again. But they’ve shown from day one they’re not interested in helping people and solving problems. They are interested in stoking chaos and division. They are interested in retribution against their political enemies. But that is not what the American people want. That is not what they expect of their leaders in a moment like this.”
“That is part of what the Army and the NTSB will work together with all of the relevant agencies to determine. They are going to look at the people involved, the equipment involved, and the atmosphere involved to see was it human error? Was it equipment? Was it confusion because of the congestion here? And so I trust the Army and the NTSB and all of our federal partners and everyone involved to look at the facts. And then if they see changes that need to be made, to bring that to Congress’ attention and we all act.”
Sen. Mark Warner on MSNBC with Lawrence O’Donnell last night: “I’m obviously going to vote against [Tulsi Gabbard for DNI], I’m going to encourage all of my members on the committee, I don’t care which party they belong to, that this is not the appropriate person that will, on judgment, will make the right judgment calls about protecting the men and women of our intelligence committee.”
See below for video and a partial transcript of what Sen. Warner had to say last night…
“I’m really proud of this committee. I was chairman for a number of years. I’ve been vice chairman and vice chairman again, and i think we’re the last functioning bipartisan committee in the Senate. And we approached national security as not a D or an R issue. And it was extraordinary today. We asked a simple question. I actually gave Ms. Gabbard, and i respect her service to our country as a legislator and in the military. It’s not about that. It’s about judgment. But at this point in time, after the guy who leaked the most amount of our national secrets, did more to undermine our national security than virtually anyone in modern times, if you can’t call him out as a traitor, as a traitor, she wouldn’t even respond to my questions, saying she would not respond and say he’s not brave or she had a bill to pardon him. And I think a lot of us, you know, I’m obviously going to vote against her, I’m going to encourage all of my members on the committee, I don’t care which party they belong to, that this is not the appropriate person that will, on judgment, will make the right judgment calls about protecting the men and women of our intelligence committee. But also, Lawrence, one of the things, we get about half our intelligence from our allies around the world, there’s no requirement that they share that with us. They share that on trust. If this individual can’t say Edward Snowden, who shared our secrets and other secrets, is a traitor, will these other countries, our Five Eyes partners, partners around the world, will Israel’s Mossad share that information with us on an ongoing basis? That will make us weaker if they don’t share that. And candidly, what message would that send to the men and women of the intelligence committee who don’t get the admiration oftentimes that our military gets, because they do this candidly in a circumspect way, they’re not recognized, nobody buys them lunch. If you’re not willing to stand up for them, if you’re not willing to send out a signal. This role of director of national intelligence, you’ve got 18 agencies, $100 billion, if you’re not willing to call out Edward Snowden as a traitor, you shouldn’t have that job.”
“I had huge concerns going into this hearing. I kind of feel like as a guy that used to be in the business world, you know, these hearings are kind of an effective job interview, and I felt like I needed to let Ms. Gabbard make her case, both in the open hearing and in the closed hearing. We had a couple hours afterwards in a classified setting. I had huge concerns. My concerns went up both in open and closed. And I’m happy to tell you and your audience tonight that I will definitely be voting against Ms. Gabbard and encouraging Democrats, Republicans, anyone who cares about protecting the sources and methods of how the intelligence community does its job, how we stand up against authoritarian nations like Russia and China, how we also protect people’s civil rights, civil liberty, rights, yes. But anyone, I don’t believe that, you know, Edward Snowden was a brave whistleblower the way Ms. Gabbard, you know, described him or I don’t believe that he should be pardoned. I believe, like almost everyone on this committee, that he was a traitor and her unwillingness to acknowledge that…I’ve talked to some of my Republican colleagues, I’ve talked to my Democratic colleagues, you know, if we can’t stand the line on this part of national security, where will we draw the line?”
“There’s enormous pressure from the administration to support these nominees. And I give enormous credit to folks who stood up against the Secretary of Defense. And we’ve got a series of other individuals that make me really pause…I think about some of our Republican friends, I mean, they kept giving her a lifeline. Just call out this guy for who he is, say that you reject this kind of activity. And unfortunately, she wouldn’t do that.”
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, January 31. One month into 2025, and it’s going just great, huh?
Donald Trump’s Cabinet of Revenge (“Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., bobbed and weaved around senators’ questions, but their own words came back to bite them.”)
Gabbard’s Hearing Turns Tense Over Snowden Questions (When it comes to all things Trump, the NY Times consistently makes choices in its headlines to make them as bland and non-descriptive as possible, instead of stating clearly what’s going on. Gee, wonder why that is.)
Great job by Sen. Tim Kaine trying to get answers out of Trump’s nominee to head up the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. As Sen. Kaine’s office describes it, Kaine asked RFK Jr. “about his previous statements regarding 9/11 conspiracy theories and his financial interest in litigation against the Gardasil vaccine, which is manufactured in Virginia and protects Americans from certain cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).”
One “highlight” from Sen. Kaine’s questioning this morning was – as you can see in the following video – when he attempted to get a serious answer regarding a tweet by RFK Jr. stating:
“My take on 9/11: It’s hard to tell what is a conspiracy theory and what isn’t. But conspiracy theories flourish when the government routinely lies to the public. As President I won’t take sides on 9/11 or any of the other debates. But I can promise is that I will open the files and usher in a new era of transparency.”
Sen. Kaine responded:
“We take that kind of stuff pretty personally. Virginians know what happened on 9/11. And we don’t need folks giving oxygen to conspiracy theories about 9/11. Now, one thing I notice about this post is it was in July of 2024, 23 years after 9/11. You had a lot going on in your life, you were running for president then. What made you decide in the midst of everything going on in thbis country and this world in July of 2024 and your own candidacy for president, that NOW was the time to say it’s hard to tell what is conspiracy and what isn’t about 9/11? What was so important about making this point in July of 2024?…You go on to say, ‘I won’t take sides [as president]…on 9/11.’ Wow. ‘I won’t take sides on 9/11’. Let me ask you this, as a general matter, do you find it hard to tell what is a conspiracy theory and what isn’t? Is that kind of a general deficit that you find in your own analytical abilities?...So you won’t take sides on 9/11, wow.”
Sen. Kaine then proceeded to question RFK Jr. on Gardisil, which multiple studies have shown is safe and effective. And yet RFK Jr. wrote, “Gardisil is killing girls.” Sen. Kaine then noted that RFK Jr. has a “pretty significant financial interest in litigation against Gardisil…” No serious response from RFK Jr, other than “I have given away all of my rights to any fees in that lawsuit.” Alrighty…
See below for Sen. Mark Warner’s opening remarks on Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination hearing this morning before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Sen. Warner is Vice Chair of the committee…
Below are Vice Chairman Warner’s opening remarks as prepared for delivery:
Before I begin, I want to recognize the tragic loss of life that took place last night at Reagan Airport. This morning, I received a briefing at Reagan Airport from the Department of Transportation, alongside my colleagues. I am praying for all the families and the victims. I also want to thank the brave first responders for their efforts. This is a true tragedy.
Ms. Gabbard, welcome. And congratulations on your nomination to be the next Director of National Intelligence.
I would like to begin by thanking you for your decades of public service to our nation, both in uniform and as the former representative for Hawaii. I applaud your continuing commitment to serve, should you be confirmed.
The President has nominated you to be the next Director of National Intelligence. Many people may not understand the importance of that position: If confirmed, you would lead the 18 agencies of the Intelligence Community. You will also serve as the Principal Advisor to the President, the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council for all intelligence matters related to national security. And you would be responsible for over $100 billion between the National Intelligence Program and the Military Intelligence Program.
It is a position of great importance and significance to our national security, created after one of the worst security failures in our nation’s history: 9/11. For that reason, when Congress established the position – thanks in large part to the work of my good friend, Susan Collins – it mandated in law that any individual nominated for the position must have, and I quote, “extensive national security expertise.”
I appreciated you taking the time to meet with me in my office and I will note as I did in that meeting, I continue to have significant concerns about your judgment and your qualifications to meet the standard as set by the law.
First, as I noted previously, the DNI was created in part to fill an intelligence sharing gap, which the 9/11 Commission identified. That mission – to share intelligence not only between all U.S. departments and agencies, but also with allies – is predicated on trust… trust that we and our allies will protect each other’s secrets. Yet repeatedly, you have excused our adversaries’ worst actions, and instead blamed the United States and our allies for them.
For example, you blamed NATO for Russia’ 2022 invasion of Ukraine. You rejected the conclusion that Assad used chemical weapons in Syria, despite it being the unanimous assessment of the Trump Administration DOD, State Department, and IC, as well as the assessment of our European allies. Instead, you blamed the United States for supporting al Qa’ida, ISIS, and other terrorist groups in Syria.
Now I don’t know if your intent in making those statements was to defend those dictators, or if you were simply unaware of the intelligence and how your statements would be perceived. In either case, it raises serious questions about your judgment. It also leads me to question whether you have what it takes to build and develop the trust relationships necessary to give our allies confidence that they can share their most sensitive intelligence with us. Make no mistake about it – if they stop sharing that intelligence, we will all be less safe. To take just one example, last summer, intelligence sharing between the United States and Austria saved countless lives by disrupting a terrorist attack at a Taylor Swift concert.
Second, you have been publicly outspoken in your praise and defense of Edward Snowden – someone who betrayed the trust and jeopardized the security of our Nation. The vast majority of the information he stole and leaked – before running off to hide in China and Russia, might I add – had nothing to do with Americans’ privacy and compromised our nation’s most sensitive collection sources and methods. Yet, you have celebrated Snowden as a, quote, “brave whistleblower” and advocated for his pardon.
Furthermore, when given the opportunity to clarify your position in the Committee’s pre-hearing questions, you declined… and instead you expressed that, and I quote, “The DNI… has no role in determining whether or not Edward Snowden is a lawful whistleblower.”
This is troubling to me in a bunch of ways. Not only do you seem to believe that someone who divulged sensitive national secrets to Russia and China should be celebrated as “brave”… you also do not seem to understand the DNI’s role in whistleblower determinations.
In fact, the DNI has a significant role in transmitting lawful whistleblower complaints to this Committee… and I would have serious concerns about confirming someone who cannot distinguish between complaints that are made lawfully, and those that are not. Further, it is the statutory responsibility of the DNI to “protect intelligence sources and methods from unauthorized disclosure.” What message would it send to the intelligence workforce to have a DNI who would celebrate staff and contractors deciding to leak our Nation’s most sensitive secrets as they see fit?
Third, until just recently you had a clear and consistent record of opposing FISA 702. I know the Members of the Committee already understand this, but for those watching today who may not, it is hard to overstate the importance of this law. It is responsible for sixty percent of the intelligence in the President’s Daily Brief, and it has been instrumental in disrupting everything from terrorist attacks to fentanyl trafficking to foreign cyberattacks.
Many in Congress and on this Committee have, at various points, supported reforms to better balance security and civil liberties. However, you have consistently gone further. Not only did you vote against reauthorizing 702, you introduced legislation to repeal the whole thing and have called its very existence a, quote, “blatant disregard for our Fourth Amendment constitutional rights.”
I understand that since you have been nominated to be DNI you have expressed a change of heart. That is welcome, but I do not find it to be credible given your record.
The world today is more complex and more dangerous than ever before and we need serious people with sufficient experience and expertise to navigate that complexity. I hope you will use this opportunity to address my concerns and I look forward to a robust and thorough discussion.
“’The steps that President Trump is taking are steps … that he told everyone he was going to do and received a massive, massive vote of confidence by the American people to do,’ Youngkin told reporters at an event rolling out Virginia school test scores.
…The governor also defended Trump’s plan to shrink the federal workforce”
So, of course, this is bull*** on just about every level. For starters, Trump did NOT receive a “massive vote of confidence by the American people”; in fact, Trump won by just 1.5 points and currently has an historically low approval rating AND an historically high disapproval rating. Second, you really can’t argue – given how bad the media is – that most people understood exactly what Trump was going to do, in this case violating the law, constitution, etc. and trashing our federal government. Third, Youngkin’s duty as governor of Virginia is to *protect and defend VIRGINIA*, not to act as an apologist for every crazy, illegal, unconstitutional thing Trump does! As Speaker Don Scott, quoted in the WaPo article, says:
“For our governor to stand by while the president takes away the livelihoods of Virginians is a shame. And most Virginians should be disgusted that their governor won’t stand up to the president of the United States and say you’re wrong.”
Very well said by Don Scott, who adds, “Virginia Republicans need to stop being afraid of Trump and stand up for Virginians!” But they won’t do that, of course, because they’re in the Trump cult, and that requires total obedience to the cult leader…
“overwhelmingly criticize Governor Youngkin for supporting Trump’s federal spending freeze, suggesting it prioritizes Trump’s agenda over the well-being of Virginians. Many commenters express concern that Youngkin’s actions could harm Virginia’s economy, particularly given its reliance on federal jobs and contracts. They argue that Youngkin’s claims of a ‘massive vote of confidence’ for Trump are misleading, as Trump did not win a majority in Virginia. Overall, the sentiment is that Youngkin is neglecting his duty to protect his constituents’ interests’.”
Finally, as the two top-rated comments say:
“Wow, it’s unusual for a governor of a state to declare openly that he doesn’t care how much a presidential administration’s policies harm his own constituents. Hope Virginians have learned never to vote for Youngkin again in any capacity!”
“Regardless of what Youngkin thinks Trump was elected to do, Youngkin himself was elected to stand up for his constituents and protect their interests. It’s a shame that he seems more interested in sticking up for Trump.”
[UPDATE: another good one] “So- in fealty to the cult leader Trump, Youngkin is willing to see his state, its charities, its health organizations, their workers, and the people they assist, suffer,lose jobs, lose vital services, all in violation of the separation of powers. The GOP has become a sick party indeed.”
Trump’s Inaugural Approval Rating Is Historically Low Again (“At 47%, President Donald Trump’s initial job approval rating for his second term is similar to the inaugural 45% reading during his first term, again placing him below all other elected presidents dating back to 1953. Trump remains the only elected president with sub-50% initial approval ratings, and his latest disapproval rating (48%) is three percentage points higher than in 2017, marking a new high for inaugural ratings.”)
Trump is already acting like a king (“The order to shut off federal grants reveals a vision of the presidency at odds with basic democratic principles.”)
There Is a Strategy Behind the Chaos (“The drama over federal-grant spending this week isn’t mere disorganization; it’s part of a broader effort to remake the government from the inside.”)
It’s Not Amateur Hour Anymore (“Trump’s team is savvy and has been planning to remake the federal government for years.”)
Schapiro: Running in ’26 by running around in ’25 (“Gov. Glenn Youngkin, though mentioned for the Senate, has given no indication that he is interested in anything less than the presidency in 2028. For either office, Youngkin would have to answer for Trump, whose unpopularity fueled a Democratic surge here from 2017 until 2020.”)
