Dozens of healthcare workers rallied outside Jamaica Hospital Medical Center on Monday, June 23, joining thousands across New York State to protest federal legislation they say will gut Medicaid funding, trigger hospital closures and jeopardize care for millions of patients.
The Queens demonstration was part of a coordinated “High Noon for Healthcare” action that stretched from Long Island to Albany, with hospital staff walking out during their lunch breaks to sound the alarm over a proposed Republican-backed bill currently advancing in the U.S. Senate.
Critics say the bill includes the largest Medicaid cut in American history, shifting costs from the federal government to states and stripping coverage from nearly 16 million people nationwide, including approximately 1.5 million New Yorkers.
Organizers say the Republican proposal includes more than $2.4 trillion in tax breaks for billionaires and large corporations while eliminating critical Medicaid funding streams that many hospitals—particularly those serving low-income and immigrant communities—depend on to operate.
The rallies came as Senate Republicans signaled support for the bill, which follows a House version that passed earlier this month. Advocates say the legislation would reverse years of progress under the Affordable Care Act and place a crushing burden on state governments already struggling with rising healthcare costs.
U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks expressed support for the demonstrators in a social media post, writing, “My staff stood in solidarity with SEIU nurses and staff at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center to oppose Trump’s Big, Ugly Bill and its devastating Medicaid cuts. We’re fighting to protect our community’s access to quality, comprehensive healthcare.”
In addition to Queens, demonstrations took place at hospitals in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island, Long Island, and upstate.
If passed, the bill would not only lead to a loss of health insurance for low-income individuals and seniors, but also undermine hospitals’ ability to provide essential services, from emergency care and maternity units to mental health and substance abuse programs.
Union leaders vowed to continue pressuring federal lawmakers and organizing more actions in the weeks ahead, urging constituents to call their senators and demand they vote down the legislation.
