Magaziner Announces Nurses Union President as State of the Union Guest
Magaziner will bring Lynn Blais, President of United Nurses and Allied Professionals, to Draw Attention to the Devastating Impacts of Trump and Republicans’ Cuts to Health Care
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) announced today that Lynn Blais, President of the United Nurses and Allied Professionals (UNAP), will be his guest for President Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, March 3.
Blais leads the regional health care union representing nearly 6,500 nurses and allied health professionals across Rhode Island, Vermont, and Connecticut, making UNAP the largest nursing union in Rhode Island. Her invitation underscores the real-world impact that Republican cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) funding are having on patients, providers, and health care facilities.
“The cost of health care has skyrocketed for working people across this country because of deep cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act funding under President Trump, all to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans,” said Magaziner. “I am honored that Lynn will be my State of the Union guest this year to represent the nurses and patients who are being harmed by this health care crisis. I will continue fighting to make health care more affordable and accessible to all Americans, and to support the health care workers who are the bedrock of the care economy.”
“It is an extreme honor and privilege to be asked to be Magaziner’s State of the Union guest. The 6,500 members that I represent are grateful to the Congressman for all his hard work and his dedication to help prevent further destruction of the current health care system, which is in critical condition. My members work every day, trying to care for patients in a very broken system that can’t afford any further cuts in its funding. We can’t go back in time and prevent the working class and underserved to lose their health coverage because then we all pay,” said Lynn Blais, President of the United Nurses and Allied Professionals union.
Last year, President Trump and congressional Republicans enacted nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, which is expected to result in 39,000 people in Rhode Island and 15 million across the United States to lose health coverage. These cuts not only affect beneficiaries directly, but also reduce funding for nursing homes and hospitals, putting health care facilities at risk of closure.
More recently, congressional Republicans failed to extend Affordable Care Act funding that helped more than 41,000 Rhode Islanders who receive coverage through HealthSource RI afford their health insurance. As a result, health insurance premiums are skyrocketing for Rhode Islanders.
