Senator Manchin Needs To Hear From You!

Senator Manchin has pledged his support for a federal spending cap. This cap would result in huge cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security and is a reckless way to deal with the federal deficit.

Please take a moment to send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Sample letters are provided below and you can get contact information for your area paper by entering your zip code here.

Please let us know you sent a letter, and where you sent it, by sending a quick email to linda@wvcag.org. Thanks!!

Sample letters to the editor re spending cap, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security

(Letter #1) Dear Editor,

Senator Manchin supports a Republican idea to cap federal spending at 20.6 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).  I hope that Senator Manchin will do a further study of the issue before voting on such a measure which could do great harm to West Virginia.

Former Governor Manchin likes to take credit for balancing the state budget during the Great Recession.  The truth is that West Virginia received $600 million in federal fiscal relief, which was a major factor in keeping the state’s budget in the black.  If the  Republican spending cap is enacted, West Virginia would not receive such funds in future recessions. Future governors would not be able to brag about their ability to balance the state budget.   

Senator Manchin should, first and foremost, be concerned about how Republican solutions will impact West Virginia.  If he truly cares about West Virginians, Medicare and Social Security, he should vote no on a federal spending cap.

Sincerely,

Your Name Here

(Letter #2)Dear Editor,

Senator Manchin says he will not vote for anything that would harm Medicare and Social Security, two federal programs upon which more than 300,000 West Virginians depend.  But his support of the McCaskill-Corker federal spending cap would in fact mean cuts to these two programs essential for the survival of seniors in West Virginia. 

The McCaskill-Corker proposal would cap federal spending with an artificial cap that would result in huge cuts to Social Security and Medicare.  According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington DC think tank, the spending cap would result in a 19 percent cut over the next nine years.  Medicare would be cut by $856 billion and Social Security by $1,285 billion. 

Please Senator Manchin, tell us that you will get the facts about the McCaskill-Corker proposal and change your position on the spending cap.  For the sake of West Virginia. 

Sincerely

Your Name Here

(Letter #3)Dear Editor,

As Governor, Senator Manchin never had much use for Medicaid, the federal-state program that supports health care and long-term care for West Virginia children, seniors and people with disabilities.  It is well known that he tried to starve the $2.7 billion program by not hiring enough staff to manage the program properly and ordering his administration to limit long term care and mental health benefits.

As Senator, Manchin seems to favor changing the existing 45 year partnership between the federal government and West Virginia by turning Medicaid into a “block grant.”  This change would save the federal government money on Medicaid and help reduce the deficit.  The problem is that turning Medicaid into a block grant would leave states to struggle with the cost.  West Virginia would lose millions of federal dollars impacting services and costing jobs in the health and long term care sector. 

I hope Senator Manchin will follow the lead of Senator Rockefeller and urge the president and members of the Senate not to vote for a proposal that will hurt West Virginia seniors, children, and people with disabilities – not to mention the state budget.

Sincerely,

Your Name Here