Representative Langworthy manipulates the truth to lie to his constituents. In his weekly newsletter, Langworthy points out that the recently passed House budget resolution, “simply establishes a budgetary framework while instructing several House committees to find savings and make investments…” This is true.

He goes on to claim that Democrats are lying that this framework is likely to result in billions of dollars in cuts to programs his constituents rely on. But this is the Republican’s lie.

For a moment, let’s take Langworthy at his word that Republicans will make no cuts to Medicaid. The budget framework instructs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to find $880 billion in cuts to the programs it oversees.

So what are these programs? Of the $25 trillion in total spending that the Committee oversees, Medicare represents approximately 63% at over $15 trillion. Medicaid represents about another 33% at over $8 trillion. Outside of Medicare and Medicaid, we’re down to about $600 billion–around 3%–in spending overseen by the Committee.

Of the “other spending,” only about $200 billion goes to non-health related programs such as tax incentives for purchasing electric vehicles. Even if the Committee zeroed out all of the “other non-health spending,” it would be more than $600 billion short of its goal.

The Committee could save an additional $200 billion from “other health spending” by cutting the ​​Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides low-cost health insurance for children in families that make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. We still haven’t met the goal, however.

The $880 billion mandate doesn’t leave Republicans with many options: They can cut Medicare, which is politically unlikely since retired people vote more consistently than people on the lowest rungs of our economic ladder; they can cut everything that’s not health related as well as the CHIP program and still come up short; or they can cut Medicaid. The math makes cuts to Medicaid a near certainty that Langworthy is glossing over.

Cuts to federal Medicaid funding would have far-reaching consequences for our state and county. New York State would have to make hard choices to either raise taxes or cut back program eligibility, covered benefits, or reimbursement rates to providers.

Those providers include our rural hospitals and ambulance services. Those reduced benefits could include prenatal care; nursing home services; dental, vision, and hearing services; emergency medical transport; and early childhood screenings. Those suddenly finding themselves ineligible for Medicaid are hundreds of county residents who cannot afford healthcare.

Langworthy’s Congressional district includes nearly 186,000 constituents who are covered by Medicaid or CHIP. Over $32 million of Chautauqua County’s budget comes from Medicaid reimbursements, largely driven by our aging population, as approximately 60% of Medicaid dollars are spent on nursing home residents. If New York State were to reduce its reimbursement rate to providers, Chautauqua County does not have the funds to keep our rural healthcare system afloat without raising taxes.

Republicans are lying when they say this is a “framework” with no real consequences for our community.

Julie Jackson-Fosberg is a Jamestown resident.