Kaine Announces Guest to 2026 State of the Union

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) announced that he will be joined at President Donald Trump's State of the Union address by Dr. Cameron Roberts, DDS, to spotlight recent cuts to Medicaid and their effects on providers and patients. Dr. Roberts is a licensed dentist in Harrisonburg and serves as a Board Member of Augusta Regional Dental Clinic, which provides care to Virginians, including many on Medicaid and without insurance.

"I'm grateful that Dr. Cameron Roberts will travel from Harrisonburg to join me at this year's State of the Union to shine a light on the fear and uncertainty providers and patients are embroiled in because of a bill that was passed last year that dramatically cut Medicaid funding," said Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. "The Shenandoah Valley is already grappling with the closure of three rural clinics because of that legislation. No patient should have to worry about whether they can afford a needed visit to the dentist or the doctor, nor should providers be left wondering whether they're going to be able to continue providing services to their communities. We must continue to do all that we can to call attention to the disastrous impacts of these cuts and keep pushing to reverse them so that millions of Americans can get the care they need."

"I am honored to be here with Senator Kaine to bring more awareness to the challenges free and charitable clinics are facing across the nation at this time," said Dr. Roberts.

Dr. Roberts is a Board Member and the Dental Director at Augusta Regional Dental Clinic. He has volunteered at the clinic since 2020 and has served on the board since 2021. He is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and previously practiced dentistry in the Richmond area.

Kaine strongly opposed the 2025 reconciliation bill, which was passed by Congress without a single Democratic vote, that made massive cuts to Medicaid and has sounded the alarm about its effects on Virginia, including stripping health insurance from about 323,000 Virginians and gutting federal funding for providers. Last July, Kaine introduced legislation to undo the damage caused by the law.

###