U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen announced she will bring a Las Vegas teenager, Dominic Rampa, and his mother, Rebecca Ennis, to President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress Tuesday. Dominic, who has relied on Medicaid since childhood, requires the program to cover treatments for nine genetic disorders, including two immunodeficiencies and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Without Medicaid, his healthcare costs would exceed $200,000 annually.
“Since he was a young child, Dominic has relied on Medicaid to get the health care he needs to stay alive. This critical program is a lifeline for Dominic and his family, and I’m grateful to be joined by him and his mom at the Joint Address to Congress,” said Senator Rosen.
Rebecca Ennis, Dominic’s mother, emphasized the importance of Medicaid, saying, “Having a child with multiple rare diseases is very difficult. The cost is more than most people could afford, so losing Medicaid would cause my son to lose the treatments that keep him alive.”
Senator Rosen has been a vocal critic of Republican budget plans that propose cuts to Medicaid to fund tax breaks for the wealthy. She opposed a recent budget resolution that would reduce funding for programs like Medicaid and SNAP, which are vital for many Nevadans. Rosen urged President Trump to reject these legislative plans, which she argues would increase the cost of living for Americans.
Governor Joe Lombardo has expressed strong opposition to potential Medicaid cuts, warning of the severe impact on nearly 800,000 Nevadans who depend on the program. In a letter to Nevada lawmakers, Lombardo emphasized the critical role of Medicaid in supporting low-income individuals, children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
It comes after Congressional Republicans have eyed $880 billion in cuts to the committee that handles health care spending, including Medicaid. President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson insist they won’t cut entitlement benefits, but experts say those targeted spending cuts won’t be possible without rollbacks to entitlement programs like Medicaid, which covers hundreds of thousands of people in the Silver State.
In a press conference outside the statehouse last week, state Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro called on local congressional leaders to halt the proposed cuts. She noted that Nevada would be the third hardest-hit state in the country, with 50% of all births in the state covered by Medicaid. Cannizzaro warned that rural hospitals would be severely affected, and neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the state could face elimination.
