Ahoskie Mayor cites importance of Medicaid – The Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald

Ahoskie Mayor cites importance of Medicaid

Published 3:55 pm Monday, May 26, 2025

Taking part in last week’s press conference were, from left, NCDP Third Vice Chair Elijah King, Ahoskie Mayor Weyling White, Rep. Dante Pittman, NCDP Chair Anderson Clayton, Rep. Rodney Pierce, and NCDP Second Vice Chair Kimberly Hardy. Contributed Photo

RALEIGH – North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) Chair Anderson Clayton, Ahoskie Mayor Weyling White, Rep. Rodney Pierce, Rep. Dante Pittman, and North Carolina Democratic Party leaders hosted a press conference on May 22 highlighting the significant threat that the federal cuts to Medicaid passed last week by the U.S. House of Representatives pose to North Carolina.

“This would be the largest Medicaid cut in the history of our country all because Republicans want to cut taxes for billionaires like Elon Musk,” stated Anderson, who added that more than 3 million North Carolinians rely on Medicaid to have access to health care.

“The bottom line on this budget is that if Congress enacts these Medicaid cuts, costs will skyrocket, millions will lose their health insurance, children will go without healthcare, seniors will be thrown out of nursing homes, and rural hospitals will close,” Clayton said.

“The proposed cuts to Medicaid are not just irresponsible, they are dangerous, and they would have catastrophic consequences for towns like Ahoskie and for millions across our state,” said Mayor White. “Let’s be clear, Medicaid is not a luxury, it is not a political pawn, it is a lifeline. In rural North Carolina, it is the backbone of our healthcare system. Without it, hospitals will close, jobs disappear, people suffer, and people die.”

“I urge our congressional leaders and all of us here to think beyond the headlines in politics,” said Rep. Pierce, who represents District 27 (Halifax, Northampton, and Warren counties) in the NC House. “Think about the little boy in Enfield who needs speech therapy. Think about the newborn in Garysburg who needs access to a pediatrician. Think about the single mother in Norlina who’s doing everything right but can’t afford private health insurance. They are not numbers. They are North Carolinians, and they are counting on us.”

We don’t know just how far the cuts to Medicaid are going to go, but I’m hopeful that leaders will step back from the ledge,” stated Rep. Pittman, who represents House District 24 (Nash and Wilson counties). “What we do know is that cutting Medicaid will hurt all North Carolinians. Adults, caregivers, children, and seniors in Wilson County rely on Medicaid to access health care. Premiums and medical bills will rise if cuts to Medicaid are made. Hospitals won’t just eat those costs of unpaid medical bills, so even privately insured people will end up paying significantly more for their medical services.”

“I know about that life line because I needed to rely on Medicaid when I was on bedrest for four months while I was pregnant,” noted NCDP Second Vice Chair Dr. Kimberly Hardy. “I had doctors appointments three to four days per week, had to take pills every four hours – including in the middle of the night – for months to speed up my son’s lung development in utero in case he was born prematurely so that he would have a better chance of surviving. I needed an emergency ambulance ride to the hospital where I gave birth four weeks early. Fortunately, my son – who will be 18 years old on Sunday – was born without any complications and has been healthy his entire life. None of that care would have been affordable or possible had I not been able to access Medicaid.”

“Let me be clear: when we talk about Medicaid, we are talking about access to life-saving medication. We are talking about insulin for diabetes. We are talking about PrEP for HIV prevention. We are talking about asthma inhalers for children and adults who are struggling to breathe,” said NCDP Third Vice Chair Elijah King. “I know this not just as an advocate, not just as someone who listens—but as someone who lives it. Since I was born, I’ve relied on Medicaid. It covered my inhaler when I couldn’t catch my breath. It covered my PrEP to prevent HIV. It covered the anxiety medication that allows me to function, to speak, to stand here today.”

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