Our US representative makes dubious claims and lies about GOP cuts to Medicaid, SNAP in online "townhall"
By Curt_Anderson May 23, 2025 1:37 pm Category: Medical
(0.0 from 0 votes)
Rules of the Post & Tips.
There is a reason why Oregon has only one Republican in our congressional delegation....and he's one too many.
[U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, who represents Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District covering much of eastern Oregon] told listeners at the beginning of the event that 4.8 million able-bodied adults are receiving Medicaid benefits and choosing not to work, then later claimed that 21 million Americans are “not actively seeking work, even though they’re capable.” Bentz did not cite any sources for these numbers or respond to an email from the Capital Chronicle asking for the source data.
“It’s a travesty the number of folks that are not working in the United States,” Bentz told his online and call-in audience.
One, a retired doctor from Medford, told Bentz he was concerned about the future of rural hospitals — already operating on thin margins — if Medicaid coverage is harder for Oregonians to get. He told Bentz it will leave hospitals and clinics covering the costs when an uninsured patient walks in.
“You know, working in the hospital, if somebody gets sick, regardless of failure to pay, they’re going to be taken care of,” he said. “Working or not, people still get sick.”
Bentz said he frequently consulted with John Kitzhaber, former Democratic Oregon governor and doctor, on the Medicaid portion of the bill, and said Kitzhaber put together a work group for Bentz to correspond with about Medicaid.
“I reached out to him four months ago and said, ‘Hey, I’m on this subcommittee. Would you be so kind as to assist me in better understanding how we can best approach Medicaid?’ And to his credit, he’s worked with me. I’ve spoken to him almost once a week over the past three months,” Bentz said.
Kitzhaber confirmed this on a call with the Capital Chronicle but said the bill that Republicans passed Thursday is “immoral” and called it “a disaster.”
“We advised him on how the program works, and I warned him over and over again that the impact of this was not going to be good, especially for people in his part of the state,” Kitzhaber said.
The views and claims expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of SelectSmart.com. Not every statement made here can be assumed to be a fact.
Comments on "Our US representative makes dubious claims and lies about GOP cuts to Medicaid, SNAP in online "townhall" ":
(0.0 from 0 votes)
There is a reason why Oregon has only one Republican in our congressional delegation....and he's one too many.