Vermont's Republican Gov. Phil Scott, the three members of the congressional delegation and other top state politicians say the health care plan pending in the U.S. Senate would be devastating for the state.Scott was joined Monday at the Statehouse by Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, Democratic U.S. Rep. Peter Welch and both Democratic and Republican legislative leaders.Scott said while reforms to the current federal health care system are needed and officials might disagree on the best way to make those reforms, the current Senate bill is not the answer."The proposed reductions in Medicaid would leave our state with a deficit we could not absorb without cutting health care services for the people who deserve them most," Scott told a packed Statehouse gathering Monday. "Regardless of what we might have to do, the consequences for Vermonters would be severe."Lawmakers estimated the bill would leave 51,000 Vermonters without health insurance coverage or require a big tax increase "on already overtaxed Vermonters."Sanders called the Republican proposal an "embarrassment" and "immoral and unacceptable" as he repeated his call for a 'Medicare for all' system of universal coverage. Rep. Peter Welch said many rural, community hospitals across the U.S. could be forced to close if the cuts are implemented."We're in an existential fight to keep what we have," Welch said. "If we lose it the threat to Vermont and to every state, to every community hospital, is catastrophic. It is that serious."Even conservative state lawmakers, like Sen. Dustin Degree of Franklin County and Rep. Don Turner, of Milton, urged defeat of the bill as they advocated for health care reform more palatable to the states.

Vermont's Republican Gov. Phil Scott, the three members of the congressional delegation and other top state politicians say the health care plan pending in the U.S. Senate would be devastating for the state.

Scott was joined Monday at the Statehouse by Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, Democratic U.S. Rep. Peter Welch and both Democratic and Republican legislative leaders.

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Scott said while reforms to the current federal health care system are needed and officials might disagree on the best way to make those reforms, the current Senate bill is not the answer.

"The proposed reductions in Medicaid would leave our state with a deficit we could not absorb without cutting health care services for the people who deserve them most," Scott told a packed Statehouse gathering Monday. "Regardless of what we might have to do, the consequences for Vermonters would be severe."

Lawmakers estimated the bill would leave 51,000 Vermonters without health insurance coverage or require a big tax increase "on already overtaxed Vermonters."

Sanders called the Republican proposal an "embarrassment" and "immoral and unacceptable" as he repeated his call for a 'Medicare for all' system of universal coverage.

Rep. Peter Welch said many rural, community hospitals across the U.S. could be forced to close if the cuts are implemented.

"We're in an existential fight to keep what we have," Welch said. "If we lose it the threat to Vermont and to every state, to every community hospital, is catastrophic. It is that serious."

Even conservative state lawmakers, like Sen. Dustin Degree of Franklin County and Rep. Don Turner, of Milton, urged defeat of the bill as they advocated for health care reform more palatable to the states.

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