***PRESS STATEMENT***
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, July 1, 2025
CONTACT: Daniel Hopkins, (989) 387-1226, daniel.hopkins@seiuhealthcaremi.org
DETROIT, MI — Following today’s U.S. Senate vote to advance legislation that would gut Medicaid and other essential programs, Charlesetta Wilson, the Director of Nursing Homes at SEIU Healthcare Michigan, released the following statement:
“This legislation is a direct attack on the health and dignity of Michigan’s working families. It would rip more than a trillion dollars from Medicaid, food assistance and other essential programs our communities rely on just to fund more tax breaks for billionaires.
“If passed, children would lose care, seniors would be forced out of nursing homes, and people with disabilities would go without life-saving services. In Michigan alone, 750,000 people would lose health coverage, nearly half of all births are covered by Medicaid, and our hospitals would lose billions in funding. These cuts would also significantly strain our state budget, according to a report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
“SEIU Healthcare Michigan members provide essential care in homes, nursing homes, and hospitals across the state. This bill threatens their ability to care for the people who depend on them. Massive Medicaid cuts would mean layoffs, deeper staffing shortages, and even more impossible workloads for frontline caregivers already stretched to nearly their breaking point. That’s why we had members in Washington last week, fighting to protect Medicaid and the people we serve.
“While taking healthcare from the most vulnerable, this bill would also channel billions into targeting immigrant workers who help power our economy and care for our communities.
“We’re calling on Michigan’s U.S. House delegation to vote no. Stand with your constituents, not with corporations and extremist politicians willing to trade human lives for billionaire tax cuts. And we urge Michiganders to contact their representatives and demand they reject this dangerous, deadly legislation. Every family deserves healthcare and a future with dignity, and SEIU Healthcare Michigan won’t stop fighting until that’s a reality.”
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SEIU Healthcare Michigan is the largest healthcare union in the state, representing over 17,000 healthcare professionals including home care, nursing home, and hospital workers. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is a union of about 2 million diverse members working in healthcare, the public sector, and property services. Every day, SEIU members save lives, care for the sick, help seniors and people with disabilities live independently, educate children, and keep communities clean, safe, and healthy. They work in settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, public schools, universities, airports, libraries, law enforcement, and commercial office buildings. United by the belief in the dignity and worth of all workers and the services they provide, SEIU is dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families. SEIU fights for a Vision for a Just Society, where all workers are valued, all people are respected regardless of background or race, and where families and communities can thrive, ensuring a more equitable world for future generations. Learn more at www.seiuhealthcaremi.org.