(TRENTON) – Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver (D-Essex/Passaic) released the following statement Thursday amid a report by The Star-Ledger that the Christie administration plans to propose cutting people making as little as $103 a week from Medicaid:
“It’s now clear why the administration has been hesitant to detail its plan – no one would want to publicly stand behind something this heartless and irresponsible.
“This program is an absolute lifeline to many hard-working New Jersey families who have no other access to health care. We’re not talking about families living the good life aiming to take advantage of a government program. We’re talking about families with low incomes and reDests who have no other options.
“The outcome of such a cut would be easily predictable – many working class New Jerseyans would simply turn to emergency rooms for more expensive health care, driving up costs on hospitals that cannot afford it.
“The administration’s continued theme of only looking out for those most fortunate is long past being tiresome.
“The administration needs to dump this plan and come up with a humane approach. I cannot envision this concept being approved by a Democratic Legislature dedicated to fighting for working class New Jerseyans.”