BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries visited Buffalo on Tuesday to speak with local community leaders and health care workers about the impact of President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act on Medicaid and health care access nationwide.
Jeffries spoke to dozens of attendees at Evergreen Commons in Buffalo, warning of what he called a broad attack on the nation's health care infrastructure.
"An assault on medical research, an assault on the Centers for Disease Control, an assault on the National Institute of Health," Jeffries said.
Last July, the Trump administration cut more than $1 trillion from health care spending through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, specifically targeting Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. The cuts represented the largest reduction to health care spending in American history, jeopardizing coverage for more than 20 million Americans. In New York state, more than 470,000 people were impacted.
Jeffries said the cuts have driven up costs for working- and middle-class residents.
"And in some cases resulting in premium increases of as much as $1,000 a month on working class New Yorkers, middle class New Yorkers, and everyday Americans," Jeffries said.
U.S. Rep. Tim Kennedy, who represents New York's 26th Congressional District, also addressed the crowd, describing the human cost of losing health care access.
"Dying from preventable conditions and being left to navigate the devastating consequences of losing access to health care," Kennedy said.
Last year, Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy, who represents New York's 23rd Congressional District, defended the work requirements included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and other health care changes, arguing that government assistance should be reserved for those who truly need it.
WATCH: Jeffries visits Buffalo to rally against Medicaid cuts from One Big Beautiful Bill Act
"These are basic principles. If you're able-bodied and you have no dependents, and you're receiving taxpayer-funded Medicaid, you should be expected to work, look for work or enroll in job training," Langworthy said.
Langworthy drew a comparison to welfare reform under a previous administration.
"Democrat president Bill Clinton, he worked with Congress to reform welfare by requiring work from able-bodied adults. It was wildly successful. Employment went up. Dependency went down and Americans believed in the system again," Langworthy said.
Health care workers and union leaders who work directly with affected communities said vulnerable populations are bearing the brunt of the cuts.
"We've seen a number of service line closures in our hospitals. Our nursing homes have started to close, and most importantly, why would we see nursing homes or hospitals close? Where are people going to go when they're sick? Where are elderly going to go when they can no longer be taken care of at home?" said Shameka Burnette-Mathews, an administrative organizer with 1199 SEIU.
Voter registration was also raised as a key issue at the event, with Election Day 14 weeks away.
