Senate Democrats Press Secretary Kennedy for Hard Numbers on How Many Families Will be Pushed into Medical Debt-Induced Bankruptcy By Trump's Health Care Cuts

Senate Democrats Press Secretary Kennedy for Hard Numbers on How Many Families Will be Pushed into Medical Debt-Induced Bankruptcy By Trump's Health Care Cuts

"If Republicans continue with their health care cuts, medical debt will almost certainly skyrocket"

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pressing him for answers about how many families will be pushed into medical debt-induced bankruptcy nationwide by the Trump Administration's massive health care cuts and failure to address soaring health insurance premiums.

The letter was also signed by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Angus King (I-ME), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Peter Welch (D-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Andy Kim (D-NJ).

"Republicans have shut down the government instead of participating in a bipartisan process to make sure 15 million Americans don't get kicked off their health care and even more see their health insurance premiums double," wrote the Senators. "If Republicans continue with their health care cuts, medical debt will almost certainly skyrocket."

The Senators criticized the Trump Administration's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for supporting the reversal of a rule to eliminate medical debt from consumer credit reports: "Despite the rule's vital role in protecting consumers from medical debt burdens, on April 30, the CFPB joined industry groups opposed to it in a joint motion to have it overturned-putting corporate profits ahead of the American people. This means even more families will face economic hardships because of medical events outside of their control."

The Senators concluded with two questions for Secretary Kennedy, requesting answers by November 1, 2025:

1. How many Americans will be pushed into medical debt-induced bankruptcy by the Trump Administration's health care cuts?
2. How many of these Americans will be pushed into medical debt-induced bankruptcy due to the expiration of the ACA enhanced premium tax credits that President Trump and Congressional Republicans refuse to extend?

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