Rep. Gabe Evans Votes to Gut Medicaid, Breaks Promise to his Constituents

Denver – Today, Rep. Gabe Evans (CO CD-8) voted in the House Energy and Commerce Committee to cut $715 billion from healthcare and Medicaid—slashing health care funding for hundreds of thousands of Coloradans to help subsidize tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations. Rep. Evans represents much of Adams and Weld Counties and part of Larimer County, where over 200,000 people — including over 36% of children — rely on Medicaid for their health care.

In April, Rep. Evans said,  “I don’t support cuts that harm Colorado providers or patients” and earlier in March state, “We can actually save Medicaid for the people that need it,” and his own fact sheet states he’s “working to protect Medicaid benefits.” His vote tells a starkly different story. Medicaid is one of the most efficient health programs in the country. Rep. Evans didn’t vote to improve it—he voted to terminate Medicaid for thousands of his constituents.

Last night, he prioritized tax breaks for the wealthiest over the health and economic well-being of his constituents and caved to pressures of the Trump administration, jeopardizing Colorado’s health care systems and Colorado’s economy. 70% of the tax benefits go to the top 5% while costs go up for the bottom 40% of Americans.

If passed by the full House and Senate, this will terminate health coverage for hundreds of thousands of the 1.1 million Coloradans who rely on Medicaid, nearly 1 in 5. These cuts will strip coverage from people fighting cancer, older adults in nursing homes, people living with disabilities, veterans, children, low and moderate-income families, and small businesses/entrepreneurs. doing nothing to control high healthcare costs.

In 60 of 64 counties, over 30% of children are covered through Medicaid/CHP+, and in 14 counties, it is more than 40%. Medicaid covers 61% of Coloradans in nursing homes and is a lifeline for many older residents who depend on in-home or long-term care.

Overwhelmingly, the people covered by Medicaid who are able to work, do so, with at least 92% of Medicaid enrollees working, living in a nursing facility, living with a disability/illness, attending school, or providing care to a family member. The remaining 8% includes people who are retired or are unable to find employment. Medicaid is the only health care program that provides long-term care, services, and supports—helping older Coloradans and those with disabilities live and thrive in their communities.

“The reconciliation package does exactly what we’ve been warning, terminating coverage for at least 13 million Americans and thousands of Coloradans. Making the biggest cuts in history to Medicaid doesn’t control costs and will delay or deny care to Coloradans, harming our healthcare system and economy. They are terminating coverage to pay for tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest and big corporations. Work requirements punish people fighting cancer, people living with disabilities, gig workers, farmers, ranchers, and seasonal workers, caregivers, and people who lose their jobs in an economy that is unstable from other actions by this administration. Making people sicker is the opposite of common sense and does nothing to control healthcare costs.”

“Every Child Pediatrics provides quality healthcare for over 24,000 children across Colorado. Medicaid cuts will cause children to lose access to vital preventative care and will have devastating long-term consequences for the health and well-being of our future generations. Many of our patients lost their Medicaid as a result of the unwind, and federal Medicaid cuts will make it even harder for them to have their coverage restored. It is vital that Congress understands the immediate impact that cuts will have on children and families as well as the long-term consequences for the health of our entire nation.”

Toni Sarge, Director of Health Policy, Colorado Children’s Campaign:
“Federal support for Medicaid has helped Colorado make tremendous progress in health coverage and access to care for children. Just 4% of children are uninsured, down from 9% in 2013. We should be proud of this investment and do everything we can to make sure children can get medical care when they need it. The proposed cuts will set us back to a state where more families go bankrupt because of medical bills and too many children do not have access to critical preventive care when they need it. Many Colorado households with children are already struggling to make ends meet. Cutting funding for Medicaid and other programs now would directly affect the financial well-being and health of children and communities.”

“Representative Evans’ vote to cut federal support for Medicaid will pull hundreds of millions of dollars out of the economy of CD8, burden clinics and hospitals, and – most painfully – make it harder for his constituents to live healthy, productive lives. With tariffs already raising costs and jeopardizing work in industries ranging from farming to tourism, this is no time to shred the safety net.”

“Slashing Medicaid is not a budget solution—it’s a human crisis. For the 30,000 Coloradans living with lupus, Medicaid is often the only path to life-saving treatment and specialist care. Many of our patients already face long delays, limited provider options, and crushing out-of-pocket costs. Cutting Medicaid won’t fix the system—it will break it entirely for those who need it most. Rep. Evans’ vote disregards the real lives behind these numbers and puts the health of vulnerable Coloradans on the chopping block.”

“The shameful cuts advanced in the Energy and Commerce Committee today reflect the wrong priorities for Colorado. The loss of federal Medicaid funds will force Colorado to make impossible choices. These cuts to Medicaid have nothing to do with fiscal responsibility or improving efficiency. They take critical healthcare away from people, plain and simple, to finance tax cuts for the rich. The Medicaid program has one of the strongest returns on investment of any federal program, with each dollar spent creating more than $1.50 in economic activity. By ensuring that everyone has access to a doctor when they need it and creating jobs in long-term care facilities, hospitals, and clinics, Medicaid reduces the cost of healthcare for everyone, including those with private insurance. In a year where Colorado is already forced to cut its state Medicaid program due to constitutional budget constraints, further hamstringing the stretched state budget will not only lead to thousands of people losing care, it will throw local economies that rely on the healthcare industry into crisis. And for what? To pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.”

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