100% staff agreement
Almost every nation in the world agrees that healthcare should not be conditional. However, in the United States, healthcare is a political tool, not a universal right.
U.S. leadership in healthcare seems to be the collateral damage as the Trump administration enforces its agenda to devalue public health and dismantle Americans’ trust in science. Over the past year, the administration has proposed budget cuts of over $1 trillion to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act over the next decade, restricted abortion access, stalled global health programs by withdrawing from the World Health Organization, promoted anti-science agendas that have weakened public health agencies and defunded researchers to purposefully destabilize universities nationwide. The administration took these actions to fulfill campaign promises, reduce the federal deficit, shrink the size of the government, prevent fraud and to implement a conservative ideological agenda. Additionally, the administration has taken swift action to enforce “Conscience rights” that allow providers to refuse to perform procedures such as an abortion and gender affirming care against religious or moral beliefs without fear of losing federal funding.
Gender-affirming health programs at Children’s Minnesota have become another victim of federal funding threats in recent weeks. In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law establishing Minnesota as a “trans refuge” state. One week into his presidency, President Donald Trump signed an executive order restricting access to gender-affirming healthcare services for transgender people under the age of 19 in order to “prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering experiences.” Contrary to what the executive order states, the benefits of these programs are numerous; they significantly decrease suicide rates, decrease body dysphoria and improve mental health among transgender youth.
The basis of healthcare should be guided by scientific evidence. When faith-based beliefs and practices interfere with evidence-based medicine and ethical patient care, patients may be denied necessary treatment and their trust in medical providers may decrease.
Politicizing issues, whether they be crises or everyday life, erodes shared humanity by prioritizing ideological agendas over facts, scientific research and empathy. This process divides communities, fuels misinformation and causes people to view others through the lens of political beliefs rather than shared human experiences.
Withholding federal funds from programs that serve historically marginalized communities is not to “prevent fraud,” but to weaponize the federal government against political opponents.
A government that withholds care because of political battles sends a dangerous message: that some lives are negotiable. When access to care depends on who holds power, it ultimately affects the most vulnerable in our society. For a nation that claims to base itself on values of freedom and opportunity, the dignity, survival and safety of its constituents should be guaranteed. Healthcare is not leverage nor is it ideological. It is a human need and should be protected as such.
