In 2005, organizations around the nation fought to preserve Medicaid from federal budget cuts. One key state in that fight was Oregon, where Senator Gordon Smith played a leadership role on the Senate Finance Committee. Oregon Action and NWFCO worked together to educate the public about the importance of Medicaid to everyone in the state. OA members held a rally in Portland to highlight the injustice of Medicaid cuts to support tax breaks for the wealthy. OA reached out to communities across the state, sending photo messages to Senator Smith and the state´s elected officials with stories of people who depended on Medicaid. In addition, Oregon Action posted three quarter-page ads in the Oregonian, the state´s flagship newspaper. These activities contributed to Senator Smith’s strong stance against cuts to the federal Medicaid budget.