TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Senate’s passage of the controversial “Big Beautiful Bill” has sparked public outcry in Tucson, where dozens of protesters gathered outside Representative Juan Ciscomani’s midtown office on Tuesday.
The group voiced strong opposition to more than $1 trillion in proposed cuts to Medicaid included in the sweeping budget package.
The protest, organized by healthcare workers and local advocacy groups, featured chants of “No healthcare, no peace!” and passionate speeches from current and retired nurses who say the cuts would be devastating to both patients and providers.
“We are out here today because there is a very important decision that Representative Juan Ciscomani needs to make,” said Dominique Hamilton, a registered nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital.
She spoke about what she sees among those uninsured and underinsured and fears it will get worse with the passage of the bill.
“They ration their medications, they are hesitant to go to the hospital when they direly need it,” Hamilton said. “I work in the ICU and I see patients all the time who have illnesses that could have been prevented if they had adequate healthcare to begin with.”
Hamilton fears the Medicaid cuts could overwhelm hospital systems, especially in rural areas that rely heavily on government reimbursements. “This will possibly lead to closures of rural hospitals,” she said.
The Senate approved the bill earlier in the day, advancing it to the House, where lawmakers are expected to begin reconciliation negotiations on Wednesday. Whether the Medicaid cuts remain in the final version is still up for debate.
Critics also took issue with the bill’s broader financial implications.
“If you want to cut the debt, then don’t increase the debt by making this tax break to the wealthiest people of our nation,” said Tucson resident Kay Federoff. “When they say it’s for everybody, nah, it’s really for the very wealthiest.”
Ken Kenegos, a retired registered nurse who serves as a coordinator for the Healthcare for All Coalition, warned that Ciscomani’s support of the bill could cost him politically.
“Taking care away from people in order to give tax breaks to billionaires is unacceptable,” Kenegos said. “And he won’t remain in Congress if he does it.”
Kenegos says the cuts will result in people putting off care due to expense. “People will lose their care, won’t go to see a doctor until they’re on death’s door and going to the emergency room, and they will die,” he said.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the proposed Medicaid reductions could result in an estimated 11.8 million people losing health coverage over the next decade.
Medicaid currently insures about 60% of nursing home residents and funds the majority of nursing home care and roughly 40% of all births in the United States (50% of births in rural areas).
While the bill has cleared the Senate, it faces a contentious debate in the House. Lawmakers are expected to begin markup on Wednesday.
Advocacy groups say they’ll continue to organize public actions until the final version of the bill is decided.
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