On Feb 26th, the Assistant GOP Leader of the Nevada Senate said cuts to Medicaid, Social Security and Medicare are “fair game” as part of  Republican efforts to pass Donald Trump’s tax cuts for billionaires and giant corporations. This comes after House Republicans passed a budget plan designed to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations by cutting Medicaid funding. Republican Senator Jeff Stone is just the latest Nevada GOP leader to ignore or downplay the impact of federal budget cuts on ordinary Nevadans. 

Last week, Joe Lombardo had the opportunity to meet with Donald Trump in person, ahead of the Houses’ vote, and stand against Republicans’ plan to kick more than 300,000 Nevadans off their health insurance, but stayed home instead. Earlier this month, GOP Assembly Minority Leader said he was “not concerned about how the federal budget cuts could impact Nevadans”, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal, despite the fact that these cuts could cost the state nearly $1.9 billion over the next two years and double the state’s uninsured rate. 

Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Tai Sims: 

“In a time when more than 300,000 Nevadans could be kicked off of their health insurance, Senate Republicans’ complete disregard for the well-being of their constituents that elected them is cowardly. Joe Lombardo and Nevada Republicans know cuts to Medicaid would be devastating for families and our economy, but instead of finding serious solutions for the inevitable cuts – they continue to play political games and side with billionaires and corporations over Nevadans.”