One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
LA health clinics rally for funding with Democratic congresswomen
File photo: Congresswoman Judy Chu
(
Kitty Felde/KPCC
)
Listen
0:59
LA health clinics rally for funding with Democratic congresswomen
LA health clinics rally for funding with Democratic congresswomen
Representatives from Los Angeles health care clinics gathered in downtown L.A. Tuesday afternoon to urge Congress to spare funding for low-cost health centers that serve the needy.
Democratic congresswomen Lucille Roybal-Allard and Judy Chu accepted signatures from thousands of Los Angeles-area health clinic patients urging congressional leaders to protect funding for L.A.'s community health clinics. The congressional debt reduction committee is considering cuts of up to $600 billion to Medicare and Medicaid, which fund clinic services.
"That would be totally counterproductive," Rep. Roybal-Allard said, "because the fact is that people who come to community clinics don’t have to go to emergency room hospitals for their care. Which is, and everybody knows it, the most costly type of health care that anyone can possibly have."
One million Los Angeles residents, a majority of whom are uninsured. are served by 140 community health clinics throughout L.A. County.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
