Dr. Ruiz and local health organizations hold press conference on president’s budget cuts

Last week, the Trump administration delivered it's 2021 budget request to congress proposing cuts to Medical, Medicaid, and Social Security. Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz M.D. held a press conference Tuesday speaking out against these cuts.

Ruiz said, "A budget is a statement of values, it shows what we prioritize and what we care about as a nation. President Trump's 2021 budget prioritizes billionaires millionaires corporations at the expense of hardworking American families, seniors, and veterans.”

This budget would cut $1.6 trillion from health care programs over the next 10 years. Ruiz said these cuts are so massive that they seem like abstract numbers. A breakdown of these cuts are as follows,

• $650 billion in reduced Medicare spending over 10 years, including $135 billion in “drug pricing reform.”
• $1.6 trillion in health care cuts, with the largest chunk coming from Medicaid. This budget includes general principals such as calling for the elimination of enhanced funding for Medicaid expansion.
• $75 billion in cuts to Social Security through the Social Security Disability Insurance program (SSDI).
• $3.3 billion in cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• $678 million in cuts to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
• $559 million in cuts to the National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Ruiz stood alongside other healthcare organizations at the Desert AIDS Project in Palm Springs. Those attending included,

• Zachary Taylor, Executive Director of External Affairs, Riverside University Health System, Behavioral Health
• Julia Countryman, Idy Elders
• Carl Baker – Desert AIDS Project, Director of Legal and Legislative Affairs
•  Dr. Zendle – Desert Health Care District
• Dr. Barzaga – Desert Health Care District
• Claudia Galvez – Clinicas de Salud Del Pueblo
• Kraig Johnson – Jewish Family Services
• Christy Pohlmann – Palm Springs Resident

Ruiz said, “There are already problems with health costs, health equity, and health disparities in care and outcomes throughout the country as well as right here in our own neighborhoods.”

Christy Pohlmann is a single mother and disabled navy veteran. She said she is already struggling with the little amount she does get. She said, “I am not the only one who is a disabled veteran, I am not the only one who is relying on social security to pay the bills that’s disabled and can’t work.” When she got out of the navy she was considered 80% disabled. Now, she is 100% disabled and fought for seven years for her social security. She also said, “Please stop cutting our budget. I am happy that I served but it is very disheartening when they want to take away what little we do get.”

We also spoke with Patrice Kimbler who is one of the republican candidates running against Raul Ruiz in the upcoming election for district 36. Kimbler said, “We have to be more fiscally responsible. And there is an ungodly amount of waste that happens with these programs and so in respect to that, I am all for cutting back and seeing different places that we can save money and be more fiscally responsible and save those programs.” Kimbler says budget cuts are necessary but also adds that healthcare is an important topic to her and, “when I look at this and see something that is actually going to hurt people, I am not going to agree with it.”

Ruiz said he will work with President Trump but "when his policies hurt my constituents when his budget hurts my patients and hurts our district and the public's health, I have to speak up.”

Both parties urge the pubic to go out register and vote.