U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford warns Nevada lawmakers that proposed federal budget would cut Medicaid, urges bipartisan resistance

U.S. Representative Steven Horsford told a joint session of the Nevada Legislature in Carson City that proposed House Republican budget measures would sharply cut federal Medicaid funding and risk coverage for hundreds of thousands of Nevadans.

Horsford said the proposal would remove the enhanced federal match created by the Affordable Care Act and ‘‘cost our state at least $700,000,000 a year over the next decade,’’ and that roughly ‘‘811,000’’ Nevadans depend on Medicaid. He described the potential consequences for nursing-home residents, children, pregnant people and tribal communities and urged Nevada lawmakers to form a bipartisan coalition to oppose the cuts.

Horsford framed his message around a personal account of his grandmother’s long-term care and the role Medicaid played in maintaining her services. ‘‘From that experience, I learned what quality care looks like,’’ he said, describing visits at bedside in nursing homes and the strain families face when services are reduced. He said his grandmother’s care depended on government support and that past state budget cuts had moved patients long distances to find beds.

Why it matters: Horsford said the proposed federal changes would shift large costs to Nevada and imperil services relied on by children, new mothers, older adults and people with disabilities. He cited numbers intended to show the scale of potential harm, including that nearly 40% of Nevada children (about 274,000) rely on Medicaid, that 42% of births were covered by Medicaid in 2023 (about 13,200 births), and that 60% of nursing-home residents depend on Medicaid. Horsford also cited a study he said found as many as 320,000 Nevadans could lose coverage if the House proposal becomes law.

Horsford urged lawmakers seated at the joint session to prioritize Nevadans’ coverage and called for a bipartisan effort, saying it would take ‘‘three Republicans’’ to reject what he called a ‘‘chaotic and cruel approach’’ and preserve federal supports. He also referenced Nevada’s prior bipartisan adoption of Medicaid expansion under then-Governor Brian Sandoval as a model for cooperation.

Horsford attributed the proposed cuts to a federal budget plan he said ‘‘adds 4½ trillion dollars to the deficit’’ and is intended to fund corporate tax cuts. He warned that cuts to Medicaid, nutrition assistance and veteran services would not lower everyday costs for Nevadans and would instead ‘‘fund tax cuts for big corporations, tech tycoons, and billionaires,’’ as he put it.

Horsford named several Nevada health providers and communities to illustrate the local effects. He described limited maternity services at a federally qualified health center in North Las Vegas and structural needs at the hospital serving the Walker River Paiute Tribe. He also thanked state leaders present in the chamber, including Speaker Jason Frierson (referred to in the joint-session comments as Speaker Yeager in the transcript), Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony, Attorney General Aaron Ford and Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar.

Horsford concluded by saying he will return to Washington to press the case for protecting Medicaid and other programs. ‘‘I’ll bring their voices, their concerns, and yes, their stories with me to Capitol Hill,’’ he said.

Votes at a glance

- Committee appointment: The presiding officer appointed a two-member assembly committee (Torres Fawcett and O’Neil) to invite the Senate to the Assembly chamber for the joint session. Outcome: committee appointed (no formal roll-call vote recorded in the transcript).

- Vote of thanks: Motion to extend ‘‘a vote of thanks to Representative Horsford for his timely, able and constructive message.’’ Mover: Senator Cruz Crawford. Second: Assembly member Flanagan. Outcome: motion carries (voice vote recorded as "Motion carries").

- Dissolution of joint session: Motion to dissolve the joint session. Mover: not specified in transcript. Second: Senator Flores (as recorded). Outcome: motion carries (voice vote recorded as "Motion carries").

- Adjournment: Assembly member Howtegui moved that the Assembly stand adjourned until Thursday, Feb. 20, at 11:30 a.m. Outcome: motion carries (voice vote recorded as "Motion carries").

Speakers quoted in this article are identified from the joint session record. Where numerical or factual claims are reported here, they are presented as statements made on the record by Representative Horsford during his address.

Ending

Representative Horsford asked Nevada’s lawmakers to ‘‘stand united’’ to protect Medicaid and other federal supports and said he would carry constituent stories back to Congress. The joint session then approved a formal vote of thanks and was dissolved, and the Assembly adjourned until Feb. 20 at 11:30 a.m.