Minority Leader Russo Joins Nearly 900 State, Local Elected Leaders to Oppose Extreme Cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Public Services

COLUMBUS – Today, in an effort organized by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) and more than 800 state and local elected officials signed onto a bipartisan letter to oppose the budget bill, which would severely hurt Ohio and communities nationwide. The letter warns that significant cuts at the federal level and added administrative costs will cause massive budget shortfalls and put an impossible burden on states to meet. As a result, deeper cuts would have to be made at the state and local levels, hurting local economies and impacting every sector from health care to public safety. 

The letter reads in part, “As government leaders, we understand the importance of rooting out fraud, waste and abuse to keep public services strong, but this plan fails to do that. Instead, it would rip the very fabric of our nation's social safety net wide open to give the wealthiest people tax breaks they don’t need. Meanwhile, veterans, seniors, children, people with disabilities, and all working people will suffer.” 

“This budget doesn’t just show misplaced priorities. It shows a complete disregard for working families,” said Leader Russo. “Instead of investing in healthcare, education, and economic stability, it hands tax breaks to billionaires and corporations while making everyone else pay the price. Ohioans deserve a government that strengthens public services, not one that guts them to reward the wealthy. The Senate should reject this harmful proposal.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: A copy of the full letter with signatures is linked here.