2 Virginia Repuplicans join others urging US House GOP leadership not to cut Medicaid

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) and Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) have joined others in signing a letter to House Republican leadership, urging them to preserve Medicaid.

The letter, dated Monday, April 14, argues that the balancing of the federal budget should not come at the cost of those individuals who rely on Medicaid for their health and economic safety.

"We support targeted reforms to improve program integrity, reduce improper payments, and modernize delivery systems to fix flaws in the program that divert resources away from children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and pregnant women – those who the program was intended to help," the letter reads in part. "However, we cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations."

Wittman shared a statement on Wednesday, April 16, claiming he has been an advocate for strengthening rural healthcare.

"To preserve Medicaid, we need to focus on rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse within the system," Wittman said in his statement. "This issue is personal for me since I was adopted at eight months old out of Children's Home Society of Virginia in Richmond. My birth mother’s choice to put me up for adoption gave me more opportunities than she felt she could provide. I want to fix our broken Medicaid system so we can ensure vulnerable members like my birth mother get the care they need."

A similar statement from Kiggans' office on Wednesday emphasized the importance of Medicaid reform.

"As a nurse practitioner, Congresswoman Kiggans knows how critical accessible, affordable healthcare is for people in Virginia’s Second District and across the country," the statement reads. "In Congress, she has consistently championed commonsense solutions that increase access to affordable healthcare – especially in underserved and rural communities – leading efforts to strengthen the healthcare workforce, expand telehealth services, and improve mental health resources."