On the anniversary of North Carolina expanding Medicaid to more than 690,000 people thanks to Governor Cooper’s leadership, DC insider Michael Whatley is cheering on efforts to rip it away.

Whatley – who opposed Medicaid expansion – is championing the GOP’s toxic budget that guts Medicaid from hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians and puts five rural hospitals across the state at risk of closing. He called it a “huge win” and said he would have voted for it “in a heartbeat.”

“While Governor Cooper has a proven record of expanding health care for North Carolinians, Michael Whatley will fight to rip it away and drive up health care costs for hardworking families,” said Mallory Payne, senior communications advisor at the North Carolina Democratic Party. “North Carolinians can’t afford Michael Whatley in the U.S. Senate.”

Now, thanks to Whatley’s recklessness, the General Assembly needs to act to ensure more than 690,000 North Carolinians aren’t stripped of their health care.

See More: NC Newsline: Dems blast impact of Medicaid cuts on rural healthcare, spotlight 2026 Senate race, Cardinal & Pine: Opinion: Medicaid cuts will hurt North Carolina families like ours, Asheville Citizen-Times: NC Democratic Party raises alarm about Big Beautiful Bill’s impact on rural hospitals

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