As a potential government shutdown approaches, Down Home NC is raising the alarm about the proposed federal budget that would cause severe harm to working people, seniors, and children across our state. The proposed budget slashes funding for essential health services and safety net programs in order to finance tax cuts for billionaires.
If enacted, the budget would have dire consequences for North Carolina:
- 651,982 North Carolinians would lose Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage, including 211,000 older adults, more than one million children, and 345,000 people with disabilities.
- Six rural hospitals — including UNC Rockingham, Person Memorial, and Angel Medical Center — face imminent closure due to drastic cuts in federal support, putting entire communities at risk and eliminating critical local jobs.
- More than a quarter of the state’s nursing homes could shut down, stripping seniors of necessary long-term care.
The proposal also creates a $2.5 billion state budget shortfall, threatening public schools, infrastructure, and other vital services.
“It is unacceptable that working families should have to lose health care in exchange for a billionaire tax cut. These pending cuts to the Affordable Care Act are just the tip of the iceberg, and we’re holding all political parties responsible for this disaster,” says Todd Zimmer, co-executive director of Down Home North Carolina. “Get serious. A government shutdown is not the answer — come together and pass a budget that supports rural and small-town families and workers, farmers, and small business owners. Anything less is a betrayal of our communities.”
A government shutdown would be disastrous but passing this bill would be a death sentence for rural hospitals and a deathblow to health care for millions. We are calling on our leaders to choose North Carolina families over profit and pass a budget that funds our communities’ needs.