Today, the US Senate passed the federal reconciliation bill in a 51-50 vote, and it returns to the House tomorrow, This bill is slated to push nearly 16 million Americans off their healthcare coverage and cut SNAP funding by almost a third, all in order to afford $4.5 trillion dollars in tax cuts for corporations and the ultra wealthy. 

State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Chair of the NY Senate Health Committee, released the following statement: 

"I implore New York’s congressional delegation and all congress members with a conscience across our country to vote down this dangerous legislation. This bill will deprive over a million New Yorkers of healthcare coverage. It is incredibly dangerous to defund Medicaid when it will devastate hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities, all while increasing the national debt by an estimated $5 trillion to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. This big, ugly bill has countless despicable measures, but as Chair of the Senate's Health Committee, I must sound the alarm on the risk to healthcare, and ask every New Yorker to call their representatives today."