CELEBRATING THE 61ST ANNIVERSARY OF MEDICARE AND MEDICAID

On 2026-07-14, Representative Danny K. Davis (D-IL-7) delivered a floor speech titled "CELEBRATING THE 61ST ANNIVERSARY OF MEDICARE AND MEDICAID" in the House.

CELEBRATING THE 61ST ANNIVERSARY OF MEDICARE AND MEDICAID

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E683-E684] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING THE 61ST ANNIVERSARY OF MEDICARE AND MEDICAID ______ HON. DANNY K. DAVIS of illinois in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 14, 2026 Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 61st anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid. On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed these essential programs into law, guaranteeing that seniors, children, and families would no longer have to face a health crisis alone. Today, across the Nation, over 140 million Americans depend on Medicare and Medicaid for their fundamental health care needs. In our state, over 2.4 million Illinoisans--nearly 18 percent of our state-- rely on Medicare. Roughly 3 million--about one in four Illinoisans-- depend on Medicaid. Medicaid pays for approximately half of all births in Illinois and covers 68 percent of all nursing home [[Page E684]] days in our state. These numbers are not theoretical abstractions. These numbers are Illinoisans who rely on Medicare and Medicaid to thrive. These numbers are the doctor's visits, nursing home beds, and prescriptions that keep our neighbors alive. I am alarmed that, just 61 years later, the federal guarantee of health care for the elderly and needy is under greater threat than at any point since their establishment--especially for those who rely on Medicaid. Medicaid provides life-saving health insurance to low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and people with disabilities. Yet last year, President Trump and Congressional Republicans passed the Big Ugly Bill, ripping over $1 trillion out of Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to bankroll tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. Nationally, 8 million Americans already have lost their health coverage, and 15 million more are projected to lose coverage by 2034. More than 1,000 hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes across the country are closing, cutting services, or at risk of doing so. Illinoisans are suffering. An estimated 193,000 Illinoisans have already lost their coverage, including 176,000 whom the Administration kicked off Medicaid and CHIP outright. Up to 528,000 more are projected to lose their health care in the years ahead. Illinois faces a $57 billion cut in federal Medicaid funding over the next decade, and our hospitals alone are projected to lose nearly $31.3 billion over that same period. Twenty-three rural Illinois hospitals lost money on patient services this past year. Sixteen are at risk of closing. Eight are at immediate risk. In my own Congressional District, 24 percent of families and 30 percent of children under 18 live below the poverty line. A resident of the Loop can expect to live to 85; a resident of Garfield Park, just seven stops away on the CTA Blue Line, can expect to live only to age 69. That 16-year gap is not an accident. It is what happens when disinvestment meets need, and it is why Medicaid and Medicare matter more in my district than in almost any other in this country. Forecasters project my own district will have 40,000 more uninsured residents by 2034 because of this Administration's cuts. I have more hospital beds in my district than any other Member of Congress, and I have spent my career working to make sure the people who fill those beds can afford and access quality health care. When my colleagues and I fought to enact the Affordable Care Act, we did so to ensure that no American would ever be denied the care needed to live out their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. My dedication to healthcare started long before I ever came to Washington, rooted deeply in my years working on the frontlines of Chicago's community health center movement. I saw firsthand that when you give a neighborhood a reliable clinic, you give them a fighting chance at a healthy life. Yet, instead of building on that foundation, this Administration's reckless cuts are pushing our local institutions directly to the brink. Health care is a right, not a privilege reserved for those who can afford it. Many philosophers and leaders have emphasized that we should judge a society by how it cares for its young, its elderly, and its vulnerable. I have spent my 30 years in Congress fighting to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid, and I will not stop now--not while my constituents are losing their coverage, not while our hospitals are closing their doors, and not while this Administration chooses billionaires over the people who built this country. As we mark 61 years of Medicare and Medicaid, I renew my commitment to defend these programs and to fight for the day when every American, regardless of zip code or income, can get the care they need. ____________________