Warner discusses Medicaid, ICE, climate at King’s Grant

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner visited King’s Grant retirement community on Aug. 27, where he addressed issues ranging from Medicaid and Social Security to immigration enforcement and climate change.

Warner said the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” could have major impacts on health care in Virginia.
“Medicaid is not just about poor people. Sixty-seven percent of folks who are on long-term care in Virginia are on Medicaid,” Warner said. He noted that a requirement to qualify for Medicaid is to spend down nearly all personal resources “until you’re almost broke.”

He said the bill could remove 300,000 Virginians from Medicaid.
“Not only are we going to lose 300,000 folks, it’s also going to start cutting Medicare benefits as well because the way Medicaid and Medicare work together — if you undermine one, you undermine the other,” he said.

Warner also expressed concern over recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities.
“You can be for a secure border, but not for someone picking up a mom dropping off kids for childcare or picking up somebody who helps build your house,” Warner said. “You can’t just grab people off the street. And really, when you come up, and you got a mask on, and you don’t even identify yourself…”

On climate change, Warner agreed it is a pressing issue.
“I can tell you home insurance rates in Louisiana and Florida are going up six, seven thousand dollars a year. That is purely because we got more of these storms,” he said. “I don’t know how you can argue our weather’s not changing.” Warner said he wants to maintain environmental regulations and prevent “going back to the 1970s.”

The senator also touched on federal education grants. He cited a Washington school division that received funding last year to upgrade computer systems in high schools.
“They made the mistake of calling the grant a digital equity grant, and the DOE boys came in and cut it out entirely,” Warner said. “The grant’s been held up. They relied on that promise.” He noted such grants often help lower-income students the most.

When asked about possible changes to the “Big Beautiful Bill,” Warner said, “I think we will have a shot and we will have a right to force a vote. That’s the way the system works — you got to vote on these things.”