“Residents in Madison and St. Clair counties are buying opioid prescriptions at a rate that’s much higher than national average. And more families are seeing the harsh addiction of opioid realities and what they look like,” said Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth.
According to Duckworth, the president’s budget proposal released months ago, as well as the legislative text of the Senate GOP's Trumpcare proposal, shows a major cut in funding. Funding that aids treatment facilities, programs, and rural hospitals.
“The healthcare bill cuts $800 billion from Medicaid and Trump’s budget cuts another $600 billion,” Duckworth said. “Over a trillion dollars in tax cuts to Medicaid.”
Chestnut Health Systems in Granite City is one of many clinics in the St. Louis metro area that is wandering about their future if cuts come their way.
“I’m really disappointed that instead of solving this epidemic, President Trump and Senate Republicans are taking strides to reduce resources and funding during a moment when families need these resources,” Duckworth said.
The senator expressed frustration because she says the president’s bill, which she claims will take away from places like Chestnut Health Systems, will also give billions of dollars in handouts to the same pharmaceutical companies that helped create the problem in the first place.
