Machipongo woman says Kiggan’s actions speak louder than words

Dear editor,

The old saying is, “Actions speak louder than words.” This is especially true in the case of Representative Jen Kiggans. She may say one thing, but votes the opposite way. (And she votes with Trump almost 100% of the time.)

On June 24, 2025, Kiggans joined 15 other members of Congress in signing a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson which read in part, “Protecting Medicaid is essential for the vulnerable constituents we were elected to represent. Therefore, we cannot support a final bill that threatens access to coverage or jeopardizes the stability of our hospitals and providers.” And yet two weeks later, she voted yes on H.R.1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB), which slashes $1 trillion in Medicaid spending through 2034, including $1.8 to $2.6 billion per year in Virginia beginning in 2028. More than 300,000 Virginians are at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage.

On December 16, 2025, Kiggans submitted an amendment to extend Affordable Healthcare Care Act (ACA) tax credits to the House Rules Committee, saying, “Nearly 33,000 people in my district rely on this tax credit to have access to healthcare.” If extending those credits truly mattered to Kiggans, she should not have voted for the OBBB six months earlier, which rescinded those tax credits on Dec. 31, 2025. As a result, premiums soared, almost 100,000 Virginians have lost their ACA insurance because they can no longer afford it.

The Medicaid cuts hit rural health care systems particularly hard. About 13 of Virginia’s 26 rural hospitals are in danger of closing, and the cuts so far in Virginia have resulted in the closure of an urgent care, two primary care clinics, eight school-based clinics, and the discontinuation of OBGYN services at a community hospital. It’s still unknown how the cuts will affect Eastern Shore Rural Health or Riverside Hospital. Our community will do all we can to protect those services, but funding is essential and it may be more than we can afford.

Kiggans repeatedly touts being a nurse practitioner, implying she supports health care bills, but her votes are taking health care away from hard-working Virginians, including here on the Eastern Shore.

She’s also taking food away from our most vulnerable neighbors, since the OBBB included severe cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). That’s more than 7,500 people across our two counties. Reducing those benefits put an additional strain on the already stressed lower-income families.

Strategically, the elected Republicans planned for many of these funding cuts to take place after the midterms. Will we once again hear cries of “I didn’t vote for this” when it will be too late?

Do not make that mistake again. In her previous term as our Representative, Elaine Luria’s actions in Congress helped our community, and I believe she will provide again.

Early voting is going on now. Vote for Elaine Luria.

Melody Copper
Machipongo