ACTION MEETUP TOMORROW

THE JULY ACTION MEET UP WILL TAKE PLACE WEDNESDAY, JULY 16TH AT THE SOUTH RANGE VFW.

COME JOIN US! PIZZA AND SODAS WILL BE AVAILABLE, BUT FEEL FREE TO BYO OR BRING A DISH TO SHARE!

WHEN: 6 PM Wednesday, July 16th.

WHERE: South Range VFW, 44969 Baltic Ave (Google Map).

TIMING OF BIG BAD BILL IMPACTS ON MEDICAID AND SNAP

TIMING OF IMPACTS FROM THE BILL

After Republicans passed their Big Bad Billionaire Bill, with the largest benefits cuts in American history, it became clear that, for political purposes, they have staggered the start of many of these harmful cuts. Their motive? To blunt the public perception of the damage they’ve done, and to move the full impact of these large cuts into the next Presidential term.

Here’s a summary of the timing of the key impacts on Medicaid and SNAP, two of the areas most heavily impacted by the bill -

MEDICAID & SNAP

• Work Requirements - New, more strict Medicaid work requirements must start no later than December 2026, and state agencies providing Medicaid are required to begin revising regulations to enforce work requirements immediately. Recipients of SNAP aid may face stiff new work requirements as soon as the end of this year, though no official timeline is laid out in the bill.

• Medicaid & SNAP Funding Cuts - The largest cuts ever in funding for Medicaid (estimates range up to $1 trillion) and SNAP ($230 billion over 10 years, or a 20% cut in aid) will not take effect until late 2028. This is purposefully done so that the negative impacts of this bill will not be felt until both the 2026 midterms, and the bulk of the 2028 Presidential campaign has finished.

ABOUT WORK REQUIREMENTS

Republicans like to talk about work requirements as if they are a way to cut “wasteful spending” because they want you to believe that people are “gaming the system”. They want you to stand in judgement of those who need assistance, and believe that “unworthy” people are “stealing your tax dollars” to fund “misspent” lives. Beyond the fact that this is a crass and callow misjudgement of our fellow citizens in need, it is also a myth.

It’s important to understand that Medicaid is not a monetary handout, it’s health insurance. People don’t get paid Medicaid benefits, they are covered by Medicaid for health care they need, and their health needs won’t disappear because of new work requirements from Washington.

It’s also important to know that SNAP is not a monetary handout, it’s food assistance. People don’t get paid SNAP benefits, they receive food assistance cards for the purchase of eligible food items - cards designed to help those in need stave off hunger for themselves and their children, and their hunger won’t go away because of new work requirements from Washington.

The nonpartisan Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says that “Decades of research show that work requirements do not move people off assistance and into self-sufficiency; instead they increase costs to states and taxpayers…”. People who need health care will still turn up at the hospital whether insured or not. Hungry people who cannot get aid may be forced to do whatever they must to feed themselves and their children, and risk deepening the cycle of poverty.

HARM TO RURAL AREAS LIKE OURS

The impact of tightened work requirements, along with the reduction in Medicaid coverage itself, is what fuels concern about the impacts to hospitals in rural areas like ours. Medicaid covers one in four people in rural America. If Medicaid no longer provides insurance coverage to pay for needed medical care for 25% of rural patients - our friends, family members and neighbors - many rural hospitals and clinics will face funding shortfalls and be forced to close.

WE MUST HAVE A VETO-PROOF DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY IN THE US HOUSE AND SENATE IN 2026 TO TURN BACK THESE DEVASTATING CUTS. THE FIGHT HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN.

THE HCDP RECOMMENDS A ‘YES’ VOTE ON FUNDING PROPOSALS ON THE AUGUST BALLOT

The Houghton County Democrats support five proposals appearing on ballots here in Houghton County this August. These proposals will provide funding for the new County Jail, Canal View, Meals on Wheels, the Copper Country ISD, and the Baraga Area Schools (on ballots for those voters in Houghton and Baraga Counties who reside within the Baraga Area Schools District).

A PDF file containing the language of all five proposals can be found on the County government’s website.

We also have a flyer available with the language of the proposals and some additional explanation compiled from several documents on the county website. You can find that flyer here.

Absentee ballots for August are already in the mail. There will be NO early voting center for this election. Election Day is Tuesday August 5th.

Are you registered to vote? Do you know your polling place? Find your voter information here.

GOOD TROUBLE LIVES ON: THE COPPER COUNTRY SPEAKS OUT!

This Thursday we’ll mark the date five years ago of the passing of Congressman John Lewis. In the spirit of Congressman Lewis’ “Good Trouble”, national groups are organizing actions to take place on Thursday to defend our democracy and carry forward the Congressman’s legacy. 

LOCALLY KEWEENAW INDIVISIBLE IS ORGANIZING A RALLY FOR 4 PM AT VETERAN’S MEMORIAL PARK IN HOUGHTON.

Our challenge to everyone who has already participated in a march or rally this year - show up again on Thursday, and bring along at least one friend or family member who hasn’t attended a protest yet. Why that challenge? It’s about making the next protest bigger and stronger than the last one.

A FUNDRAISER TO WIPE OUT MEDICAL DEBT

Keweenaw Indivisible, in collaboration with other local businesses and individuals, is organizing a fundraiser to pay off medical debt for UP residents. The goal is to raise $15,000 which would purchase all existing medical debt currently in collections in Michigan’s First Congressional District.

Every $1 donated eliminates up to $145 in medical debt through Undue Medical Debt, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that purchases and erases medical debt in collections. This fundraising initiative, ‘Stronger Together’, will eliminate the medical debt sent to collections for roughly 1,350 Michigan families.

To support the initiative, Keweenaw Indivisible is holding a fundraising event on July 29th at Small Craft in Hancock, from 6-9 pm. There will be music, food trucks, speakers, and a silent auction. The intent is to raise most of the $15,000 from major sponsors before July 29th.

At our July monthly meeting HCDP members voted to donate $500 from the County Party to the Stronger Together campaign. We urge our members and newsletter readers to also donate to this worthwhile effort.

See the local coverage the ‘Stronger Together’ campaign has gotten from the Daily Mining Gazette

SAVE THE DATES!

HOUGHTON COUNTY DEMOCRATS — SUMMER EVENTS

Leave us a voicemail at 906-523-1233 or an email at [email protected] if you’re interested in volunteering at some of these summer events!

Governmental & Community Meetings

TUE JULY 15

The Laurium Village Council meets tonight at 6 PM in the Council Chambers of the Town Hall. More info can be found on the Village Council's website. 

The Calumet Village Council meets tonight at 6 PM in the Village Council Chambers. More information on the Council meeting can be found by viewing the “Upcoming Events” section of the Village website.

WED JULY 16

Yoopers for Ukraine meets at 5 PM every Wednesday at the Bridge to show support in the UP for Ukraine. More information may be found by following Yoopers for Ukraine on their Facebook page.

The Hancock City Council meets at 6 PM in the Hancock City Hall Council Chambers.

This newsletter is paid for with regulated funds by the Houghton County Democratic Party, and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Contact us by email at [email protected] or by text or voicemail at 906-523-1233