ICYMI: Rep. Jen Kiggans Passes the Buck, Again

With Medicaid on the Line, Kiggans Attempts to Grow a Spine

Virginia Beach, VA – This week, in another attempt to quell the frustration of her constituents, Rep. Jen Kiggans attached herself to yet another letter. This time, she claims that the changes made in the Senate’s version are not “pragmatic” and include “rushed timelines.”

“Pragmatic would have been voting against the bill in the first place,” Bernita Richardson, Virginia Beach resident whose son relies on Medicaid. “My son and my parents all rely on services subsidized by Medicaid. These are chronic and life-threatening health problems that they suffer through each day, they don’t get a choice, they aren’t going to magically get better. Cancer, palsy – these are illnesses that you don’t just recover from, you work through them. Even when in remission, there’s always a fear of the cancer coming back. Rep. Jen Kiggans is just passing the buck to the Senate. Shame on her.”

“We have heard from constituents at townhalls, rallies, and all around Hampton Roads that they want to save Medicaid – it’s nice to hear that Rep. Kiggans wants to protect it for the most vulnerable, but where was that energy when she voted in favor of drastic Medicaid cuts last month?” said Emily Yeatts, Affordable Virginia Campaigns Director. “It’s no surprise to anyone that the proposed budget resolution would result in enormous cuts, gutting access to care for over 300,000 Virginians. These are the working families already struggling to make ends meet. If she cared about these families, why did she vote for the budget in the first place? Another letter won’t undue the damage she’s already done, and this letter is nothing more than lip service to constituents who deserve a representative who takes action. Rep. Kiggans is relying on her colleagues in the Senate to save face.”