Washington, D.C. — As a part of the Center for American Progress Action Fund’s ongoing seven-figure effort to educate Americans about President Donald Trump’s broken promises—and with Trump’s 2020 budget proposing to cut billions in funding for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security—CAPAF is releasing a new video in a social media campaign. The campaign will tell stories of Americans such as Heidi Troche of Albany, New York, a single mother who once relied on these and other vital programs to take care of her family while she put herself through school so that she could provide for her family. President Trump’s budget cuts put hardworking single mothers such as Troche at risk.
During the 2016 campaign, one of Donald Trump’s central promises to voters was that he wouldn’t cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. However, the reality has been drastically different. Over the next 10 years, President Trump’s budget proposal would spend $1.5 trillion less on Medicaid, $25 billion less on Social Security, and $845 billion less on Medicare. For single mothers such as Troche, who rely on these programs, these budget cuts could make the difference in providing for their families. As Troche says in the video:
“To cut these programs is really hurting people. … This president has no idea how we live paycheck to paycheck. I don’t see how he can wrap his head around our life.”
In the video, Troche recalls becoming a new single mother at age 19 and applying for social services while putting herself through a yearlong program to become a licensed practical nurse. During that time, Troche says, because of services provided to single mothers, she was able to afford an apartment and health care for her and her newborn and was eventually able to get off all services once she was financially stable. She says the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to these programs would be a disservice to her and her daughter, who is now also a single mother. Troche says she fears her daughter won’t be able to provide for her grandson the way she did when she was a single parent facing hard times.
“President Trump broke his promise. Being a single mom is very challenging. … You’re always wondering where I’m going to get diapers from,” she said.
Troche says that she left the Republican Party because of the constant threats to social programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
“I switched to the Democratic Party because it has the same values I believe in. America is a place that we should be able to have these programs available to people who need them,” she says.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Freedom Alexander Murphy at [email protected] or 202-796-9712.