Imposition of Medicaid work requirements could result in nearly 100,000 in MA losing coverage, a loss of more than $700 million to federal funding to MA 

Washington (May 12, 2025) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security today released the following statement in response to the Republican majority of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s plans to gut Medicaid and environmental protection investments.

“This isn’t ‘one big, beautiful bill’– it's a big, billionaire sell-out,” said Senator Markey. “Trump and Republicans are putting our planet and health up for sale. 

“Republicans are proposing cuts to Medicaid that will force hospitals and health centers to close. Americans will have to travel further and wait longer for care. They will get sick because they couldn’t get a routine check-up, and families will lose loved ones because an ambulance couldn’t arrive in time. Republicans are proposing these cuts so they can preserve billionaire tax breaks and invite greedy corporate executives to control Americans’ health care. 

“Republicans are slashing critical funding that would reduce hazardous air pollution and improve public health, while simultaneously fast-tracking dirty fossil fuels. Many of these cuts target the Inflation Reduction Act, including historic investments in environmental justice and air pollution reduction, even at schools. They are backing Big Oil by targeting clean car regulations that save drivers money at the pump. Their proposal repeals and rescinds funding from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund statute, which includes the $20 billion climate bank I secured in the Inflation Reduction Act, and which is projected to spur more than $250 billion in public and private sector investment to create jobs, lower Americans’ energy costs, strengthen our energy independence, and combat the climate crisis. Instead, they are rubber-stamping fossil fuel permits and export approvals. This proposal means dirtier air across the country with fewer tools and safeguards to mitigate this pollution.”

Senator Markey secured numerous provisions in the historic Inflation Reduction Act, including the creation of a $27 billion national climate financing network based on his National Climate Bank Act with Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06). Senator Markey has been a fuel economy champion since standards were enabled by the Energy Independence and Security Act in 2007, which included fuel economy language co-authored by then-Rep. Markey that the “maximum feasible standard” must be set every year.

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