Representative Jeff Van Drew promised he would “never support cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security”. But his recent vote for Republicans’ so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” tells a different story. Van Drew voted for the largest cuts to Medicaid in history. It’s a windfall for the ultra-wealthy, paid for by slashing healthcare for working families in South Jersey.
This bill threatens health coverage for thousands in our district—putting 16,294 people at risk of losing Medicaid, stripping Affordable Care Act coverage from an estimated 14,000 more, and endangering care for over 82,000 children and 17,000 seniors who rely on these programs.
The way this bill is designed to operate, through employment requirements, may sound reasonable until you see how they work: more bureaucratic red tape and hoops, with fewer people covered. It targets those juggling part-time work, caregiving, and hidden disabilities. The goal is to make it so tough for people to get these benefits that they fall through the cracks; all to give bigger tax breaks to the wealthy, while adding $3.4 trillion dollars to our national debt.
When healthcare is stripped away, people don’t stop getting sick—they just lose access to affordable, preventive treatment. Instead of seeing a doctor early, they wait until it’s an emergency and show up in the ER, where care is more expensive and less effective. That drives up uncompensated costs for hospitals, leading to longer wait times, overcrowded emergency rooms, and even closures—especially in rural communities where facilities are already stretched thin. And if hospitals are forced to shutter in New Jersey, that will mean longer wait times and less access to care for everyone, whether you are on Medicaid or not.
This is especially devastating in places like NJ-2, where rural hospitals operate on razor-thin margins. An increase in uninsured patients means more unpaid medical bills will strain facilities that are already struggling. Hospitals like Inspira Bridgeton and Cape Regional rely heavily on Medicaid reimbursements to serve their large share of Medicaid patients. Cuts to coverage mean longer drives for care, fewer specialists, and overcrowded emergency rooms. Some facilities, like Salem Medical Center, could even face the risk of closure, as in 2023, their operating cost margin was already down -67%.
Rep. Van Drew knows this. He’s a healthcare provider. He knows that slashing Medicaid and reinstating burdensome requirements and paperwork will push thousands off their coverage. He knows that letting ACA tax credits expire will drive up premiums for 31,000 people in our district by as much as 61%, jacking up costs despite the fact that he campaigned on a promise to bring costs down. And he admitted, before voting for the bill, that “the way this plan is written could unintentionally hurt the people Medicaid is meant to help.”
He voted for it anyway.
This was a deliberate choice to put billionaires and party loyalty ahead of the working families, children, and seniors he vowed to protect. He broke his promise. And South Jersey will pay the price.
I recently received a message from a middle-aged South Jersey woman with pulmonary fibrosis and a prognosis of less than five years. She told me that with the healthcare cuts, she’ll be lucky to have that much time—and that Van Drew’s office refused to help her access disability benefits. Her story is not unique. It’s a reminder that these cuts aren’t abstract—they’re personal. They’re about whether our neighbors get the care they need to live with dignity.
Jeff Van Drew broke his promise to protect Medicaid. He voted for a bill that could leave tens of thousands in our District behind. And in doing so, he showed us exactly where his priorities lie—not with our community, but with the ultra-wealthy and well-connected. It’s time to vote him out.
