More than 1,000 march in DC against possible health care cuts

Now she’s the executive director of Alaskans Take a Stand and Stand Up Alaska, and she traveled to D.C. to fight against funding cuts to Medicaid and Medicare.

“You might not be on Medicaid, Medicare now, but you have no idea. You might be one accident away from being on Medicaid,” Jackson-Hill said.

She spoke at the Save Our Health Care March on Wednesday. More than 1,000 people marched from Columbus Circle to the U.S. Capitol, holding signs that read “Our health care is not for sale” and “Some cuts don’t heal.”

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the House Republicans’ budget goals can’t be reached without cuts to Medicaid. Millions of Americans rely on Medicaid, including children, the elderly, people with disabilities and low-income adults.

“Why would we do that to folks? That is cruel,” Jackson-Hill said. “It’s evil. It’s hatefulness at a scale I have never seen before. And it’s actually our government doing it to us.”

Analilia Mejia is co-director for the Center for Popular Democracy, which organized the demonstration.

“Taking away those resources will not happen silently, and we will not stand for it,” Mejia said. “We are going to push through this budget reconciliation.”

She was impressed with the turnout, which included members of the nation’s largest nurses union National Nurses United.

“I feel empowered. I feel motivated,” Mejia said. “I feel disgusted that we even have to do this.”

Many now have plans to take their concerns to their elected representatives.

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