Last week, Rep. Juan Ciscomani voted to defund Planned Parenthood and gut AHCCCS, Arizona’s Medicaid program — all so that billionaires can enjoy bigger tax breaks. 

The GOP bill, which was signed into law by President Trump on July 4, will force 13.7 million people nationwide off their health care coverage. Here in Arizona, 2 million people stand to lose their health care coverage — including 186,000 people in Ciscomani’s district. 

That’s 186,000 of Ciscomani’s own constituents that he happily sent to the wolves. 

If that’s not bad enough, this law will also close 200 Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide. Planned Parenthood is Arizona’s largest nonprofit reproductive health care provider. Without it, many Arizonans would have nowhere to go for health care like birth control, cancer screenings, and STI treatment and testing. 

The truth is Ciscomani has betrayed hundreds of thousands of Arizonans by voting for this budget. And he knows it, too. 

That’s why he’s been refusing to meet with his outraged constituents. He knows that this wildly unpopular budget will devastate our families and communities. And it’s especially bad for pregnant women and their families. 

About 50% of births in Arizona are covered by Arizona’s Medicaid program called AHCCCS. Put bluntly, Ciscomani’s plan to cut Medicaid would result in more Arizona mothers dying preventable deaths. 

We can’t afford that in a state where maternal mortality rates quadrupled in the past two decades. 

To make matters worse, this budget will close hospitals in parts of the state where health care is already limited. Small hospitals that serve rural Arizonans — known as Critical Access Hospitals — are often the only health care provider within miles. 

In an emergency, every minute matters. With this budget now being law, these hospitals will close, and the lives of rural Arizonans will hang in the balance. 

The reality is we need Medicaid to keep our families and communities healthy and thriving. And Planned Parenthood is just as important —1 in 3 women have been to a Planned Parenthood in their lifetime. The majority of Americans see Planned Parenthood as a trusted provider. 

These programs need to be protected — not put on the chopping block. But that’s exactly what Republicans are doing. And instead of facing voters, they’ve resorted to hiding and lying.

Rep. Ciscomani doesn’t have the nerve to meet with his constituents, but he had the nerve to post on social media that the budget he voted for will “strengthen” Medicaid. He is also trying to pretend that he is a champion for protecting Medicaid — these are bold-faced lies. 

A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis found that Republicans’ budget would cut Americans’ health benefits, kick them off of their health insurance, and slash payments to providers that are already struggling to stay open. 

And it’s not just Ciscomani who knows the truth. Months ago, Rep. David Schweikert, another Arizona Republican, knew that this bill was so bad for Arizonans, he called it “immoral.” But when push came to shove, neither he nor Ciscomani did anything to stop this wicked bill from becoming law. 

Ciscomani needs to be reminded that he answers to us, the people who elected him — not billionaires who only care about deepening their pockets. 

Ciscomani had the chance to protect our health care, but he ignored us in order to prioritize billionaires. 

He will face us in November 2026 when we vote him out of office.

Athena Salman is Reproductive Freedom for All director of Arizona campaigns.