“This is a shameless and horrific attack on our nation’s most vulnerable residents,” said Assemblywoman Downey, a sponsor of several pieces of legislation ensuring that Medicaid remains affordable and accessible to low-income residents and individuals with disabilities. “The Affordable Care Act’s expansion of Medicaid gave millions of low-income households access to affordable healthcare, vastly improving health outcomes and giving a leg up to families who have struggled to keep up with rising insurance premiums.

“Not only is this proposal an assault on our most vulnerable residents, but it’s also an attack on ‘donor states’ like New Jersey. New Jersey already provides far more tax dollars to the federal government for Medicaid and other programs than it receives in federal funding. New Jersey has earned these funds, and any proposal to cap our Medicaid program is an unfair and abhorrent strike against our hard-working taxpayers.

“The administration’s plan to cap New Jersey’s Medicaid funds is both illegal and immoral, and its attempt to shift the program to a block grant scheme would threaten to destabilize healthcare markets in all fifty states. New Jersey already receives matching federal Medicaid funds calculated from per capita incomes, the cost of services, and hospital costs. Medicaid is meant to ensure coverage for those who need it most – but block granting these funds would force states to limit access to care, leading to worse health outcomes for communities across our state.

“New Jersey’s expansion of Medicaid saved lives and ensured that thousands of Garden State residents could lead happier, healthier lives. We cannot afford to go back to a time when millions of Americans were both unable to afford healthcare coverage and unable to qualify for Medicaid, leaving far too many families uninsured and vulnerable to a sudden illness, injury, or disability. We must stand up against this unjust, unacceptable plan and fight to defend our residents’ healthcare.”