Dear Editor:

Republicans, including our representative Jack Bergman, have shut down the Federal Government because they want to strip healthcare away from middle and working-class Americans including Yoopers so they can give more tax cuts to the wealthy.

Democrats instead are demanding an extension of enhanced subsidies that help make healthcare affordable for Americans obtaining it through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), as well as a reversal of Medicaid cuts included in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”

Although Michigan’s recently passed budget fortunately preserves healthcare spending, the GOP-controlled house’s original bill would have cut Medicaid and behavioral health spending by $3.79 billion.

Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill will kick 10-15 million Americans off Medicaid. Four million Americans will lose healthcare if ACA subsidies aren’t extended, because they won’t be able to afford both insurance and rising grocery prices courtesy of Trump’s tariffs. Rural communities like the UP will be hit hardest with more hospital closures and loss of services.

When Aspirus Ontonagon closed and Ironwood announced discontinuation of OB services, Bergman, Ed McBroom, and Greg Markkanen offered faux outrage but no real solutions, nor acknowledgment of their party’s ultimate responsibility. I myself have seen too many patients forego important diagnostics and treatments because of the cost.

The GOP’s true constituency is not you or me, but wealthy individuals and corporations. Republicans operate as reverse Robin Hoods, who steal from middle and working-class Americans and give to the rich. In their opinion, any state or federal dollar that could be invested in the health of Americans should instead go into the pockets of billionaires or billion-dollar corporations in the hopes that one dime of that dollar returns to them in their reelection campaign war chest.

They accomplish this through spreading lies and hate, such as claims that Democrats want to provide free healthcare to undocumented immigrants (which is completely false). Republicans cynically believe that rural Americans are so stupid and motivated by hate that they can be manipulated into voting against their socioeconomic self-interest with lies and racist, misogynistic, and xenophobic dog whistles, but I know that Yoopers are too smart and kindhearted to let this continue, and I would encourage them to resist the urge to vote compulsively for anyone with an “(R)” following their name or at least demand better from the Republicans they do vote for.

Yoopers and all Americans must educate themselves and base their votes on issues that matter and ignore GOP distraction tactics.

Your health depends on it.

Charles Goodwin, MD, Ph.D

Hancock