The message from the large group of protesters in front of the Warren office of the U.S. Rep. John James Wednesday afternoon was keep your hands off Medicaid.

The rally was organized by SEIU Healthcare union and included other advocate partners including Michigan AFL-CIO, Detroit Action, and Michigan United. James (R-Shelby Twp.) has supported the Republican budget resolution that could cut $880 billion from Medicaid.

Many attendees had personal experience with Medicaid and emphasized the wide array of services it provides, particularly long-term care for disabled, elderly, and mentally-impaired people.

Kaitlyn Williams has a three-year-old son who is disabled and requires a prescription formula that she said would cost $400 a month out of pocket if Medicaid was not available to her.

“He has had six surgeries, he has a shunt, he has a G-tube so it is more than just the formula, too,” Williams said as she stood on Van Dyke Avenue with a sign stating that Medicaid saves lives.

For retired auto worker Ted Scancella, Medicaid represents long-term nursing home care for his mother, who died a couple of years ago.

“My mom was in a nursing home facility toward the end of her life and that was partially covered by Medicaid,” said Scancella. “It doesn’t affect me personally right now, but it could in the future.

“They keep clawing away at everything so you never know.”

Katrina Manetta, who co-chairs Macomb Defenders Rising, attended the rally she hopes will raise awareness of the variety of healthcare services that would not be available to citizens if not for Medicaid.

“We are out here fighting to make sure that the community is protected,” said Manetta. “People are terrified of how they and their families will be impacted by the cuts.”

Manetta said many people may not realize the essential services for which Medicaid provides. Her mentally-disabled aunt relies on Medicaid for her long-term care and has spoken to many parents of disabled children who say they could not afford medical care for them without Medicaid.

She also said people with low income jobs that do not offer healthcare, particularly those who need multiple medications, also need Medicaid.

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Detroit Democrat whose district stretches from southern Oakland to the Dearborn and Downriver area, was on hand and urged James to vote in support of Medicaid and against proposed cuts.

“Prenatal care, mental health care, long-term care; there are so many essential services covered by Medicaid,” said Tlaib. “John James knows what he is doing, and I’m asking him to change his mind and not to cut Medicaid.”

SEIU Deputy Trustee Gabby Jones-Casey said the lives of healthcare workers and the lives of citizens are on the line, so it is important to create awareness of the impact proposed cuts to Medicaid would have.

“Medicaid covers a lot of things that people do not even think about,” said Jones-Casey. “It funds a lot of our rural hospitals, it almost completely funds home care, and it gives resources to a lot of the people who are the most vulnerable,” said Jones-Casey.

Jones-Casey said the need for home health care is growing and thus, so is the need for Medicaid.

“We should actually be talking about expanding the program, because of how impactful, positive and important it is to our community,” said Jones-Casey. “We are going to be out here doing whatever it takes to protect Medicaid.”

James did not immediately respond to a Macomb Daily request for comment.

Longtime Macomb County resident John Bingham Jr. said police officers have always been near and dear to him.

Bingham served as a Detroit reserve police officer for 10 years, mostly out of the 5th Precinct, and as a police constable in Clinton Township for eight years. He remembers his early years from 1970-1980 in Detroit with great fondness.

“At the time I was an insurance claims investigator and I normally worked as a Detroit Police Reserve Officer on weekends,” said Bingham. “You really learned a lot about making split second decisions that your life depended on.”

Bingham, who recently moved from Sterling Heights to a long term care facility in Troy because he has stage 4 liver cancer, donated a 32-caliber Ward & Sons pistol, made in England in 1895 and a 1930s claw handcuff to the Sterling Heights Police Department.

The items are displayed in a handmade case that can be hung on the wall.

“The revolver is the same type of pocket pistol the Scotland Yard detectives would have carried in their back pocket at that time,” said Bingham. “The claw handcuff was used for detectives to march a prisoner from the jail to the court and if the prisoner got too rambunctious and tried to escape, a twist of the ratchet could break his wrist or at least cause a great deal of pain.”

When Bingham found out he needed to move to a long term care facility, he began selling off his collection of classic weapons. But the two items he presented to the Sterling Heights Police Department on March 1 are special — the pistol was a gift from his father and the handcuff was used by his great uncle who was a detective.

“As a resident, I  just wanted to do something to show my appreciation for the police,” Bingham said. “I’m stuck here so I wanted to do this.”

The presentation was facilitated by the Sterling Heights and Royal Oak Lions clubs. Bingham has been a Lions Club member for 25 years, starting in Metamora and moving to Pontiac, then Sterling Heights, and finally Royal Oak.

Bingham said he was attracted to the Lions Club because of his brother, who lost an eye when he was 8-years-old due to a medical condition.

Sterling Heights Police Sgt. Micheal Zawojski and Detective Maureen Merpi, along with police comfort dog Toby, received the special items March 1 at Regency at Troy care center with members of both the Royal Oak and Sterling Heights Lions clubs in attendance.

“The donation of the antique firearm and handcuffs by Mr. Bingham is greatly appreciated,” said Zawojski. “It’s not every day we receive pieces of history like this, and it’s amazing to see how law enforcement tools have evolved over time.

“John’s dedication to both policing and the community is truly appreciated, and we’re proud to showcase these artifacts at the department.”