Congressman Danny Davis (D-7th) spoke out against federal health care cuts and urged senators to reject such reductions on Monday, holding press conferences at five safety-net hospitals on Chicago’s West Side.
Davis renounced President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Tax Bill, as it’s being discussed in the United States Senate, saying its passing would affect resources and services at hospitals like Loretto Hospital and West Suburban Medical Center, possibly to the point of their closures.
“Of all of the draconian cuts in the ‘Big Ugly bill,’ nothing is more devastating than the cuts that will devastate healthcare delivery in this country – as evidenced by the impact on these safety-net hospitals, not only in urban America, but even worse in rural America,” Davis said in a statement.
Starting at Loretto Hospital – which serves over 90,000 Austin residents annually and with and 85% of its patients on Medicaid or Medicare – Davis then traveled to West Suburban Medical Center, Humboldt Park Health, Ascension Saint Mary Hospital and Mt. Sinai Hospital. Those five safety-net hospitals serve a vital role in providing health care to communities that have historically been underserved, like those on Chicago’s West Side. Without them, Chicagoans are likely to see worsening health disparities in neighborhoods that are already vulnerable.
According to Davis, these five safety-net hospitals serve 80% of African Americans on Chicago’s West Side, and many of their patients are either on Medicaid or Medicare. Because the hospitals rely on Medicaid and Medicare funding, if the Big Beautiful Tax Bill passes, thousands of West Siders could be left without adequate access to health care.
If decreased funding doesn’t force these hospitals to close, behavioral, maternal and women’s health services would likely be reduced. For example, with federal budget cuts, Loretto Hospital anticipates a $9 million loss in revenue, 25% fewer primary care visits and delays in access to care.
“This isn’t just about dollars, it’s about lives,” Tesa Anewishki, president and CEO of Loretto Hospital, said in a statement. “When safety-net hospitals are threatened, so are the people who rely on them for care every single day. I firmly believe that eliminating vital services not only threatens the health of our patients but also undermines the very fabric of our community. We must ensure that access to essential healthcare is available and accessible for those who need it the most.”
Davis urges the public to call Senate Republicans at (202) 224-3121 and urge them not to pass the Big Beautiful Tax Bill.
