Americans Across Party Lines Oppose Republicans’ Reckless Plans to Gut Medicaid and Threaten Health Care For Millions of Americans
House Republicans are facing intense backlash and lying to the American people after voting to advance a budget resolution slashing Medicaid funding by nearly $1 trillion – all to give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations. No matter what Republicans say this vote means, it will end in draconian cuts to Medicaid. It is mathematically impossible for Republicans to meet the requirements of their budget resolution without gutting Medicaid and ripping away health care.
Americans across party lines oppose cuts to Medicaid, and polling finds that a majority of Americans think the government should spend more on health care — not less. Medicaid is an essential pillar of our health care system with over 70 million Americans currently covered through the program. The GOP budget slashes Medicaid and would have a devastating impact on the most vulnerable Americans, including low-income seniors, children, veterans, people with serious disabilities, and people who take care of their children or elderly parents.
HEADLINES
Washington Post: Some Republicans Fear Medicaid Cuts Could Cost Them Their Jobs.
- “Trump and House GOP leaders insist they won’t touch Medicaid benefits and will simply target ‘fraud’ — but it’s not clear how they can meet their targets for spending cuts without big changes, experts say. The possibility of Medicaid cuts has become a headache for the most vulnerable Republicans in Congress — some of whom are vowing to reject any final bill that slashes it — and has handed Democrats a potent issue ahead of the 2026 midterms.”
HuffPost: Moderate Republicans Who Complained About Medicaid Cuts Voted To Advance Them Anyway.
- “All of the moderate House Republicans who complained last week about Medicaid cuts in the House Republican budget voted for the budget anyway on Tuesday… The budget resolution directs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid, to come up with $880 billion in savings, or about 11% of Medicaid’s projected costs for the next decade.”
ABC News: Republicans Pushing Forward on Medicaid Changes, Despite Potential Political Fallout.
- “House Republicans signaled they’re going full steam ahead on significant changes to Medicaid, despite pressure from Democrats and even some moderates in their party. The suggested overhauls to the program, which provides health care for lower-income Americans and those with disabilities, are part of an effort to slash federal spending and hit the House GOP’s goal of cutting $2 trillion over a decade from the federal budget.”
USA Today: Medicaid Insures 1 in 5 Americans. This is How the GOP Budget Could Impact Coverage.
- “The budget resolution starts a process that could result in significant changes to Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program that covers nearly 1 in 5 Americans… President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he does not want cuts to Medicare, the federal health program for adults 65 and older and Americans with disabilities. So, experts say, that means Medicaid is a potential target for spending reductions.”
Forbes: Trump And Republican Budget May Drain Medicaid To Pay For Huge Tax Cut.
- “The Republican budget plan calls for trillions of dollars in regressive tax cuts. And the budget numbers tell us the most likely place to get money to partially pay for the tax cuts will be severe cut backs in Medicaid—the source of health insurance for over 25% of Americans and close to 60% of children, and a major source of basic health care from nursing homes to rural hospitals. The House’s action, and likely resulting crisis, is a major step towards next fiscal year’s budget.”
Vox: Is Trump Lying About Cutting Medicaid — Or Is Congress?
- “Because House Republicans passed a bill on Tuesday that calls for $2 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years. The bill asks the committee that oversees Medicaid and Medicare to identify $880 billion in savings. Given that Medicare (health care for seniors) is politically untouchable, that sounds like a call for steep cuts to Medicaid. Republicans have been reluctant to propose structural changes to Medicaid, as it’s unpopular to take away health insurance from people who need it — particularly while cutting taxes for the wealthy. Instead, Trump and other top GOP officials have pledged to root out “fraud.” That’s more politically palatable, but the math doesn’t work. There’s simply not enough fraud in the system to get anywhere near the scope of savings Republicans are looking for.”
Washington Post: Opinion: The House Republican Budget Leaves States Holding the Bag on Medicaid.
- “If the “big, beautiful bill” that House Republicans barely passed on Tuesday night ever translates into actual government policy, it will put the states in a huge, hairy hole. Many states would be faced with some ugly choices regarding their Medicaid programs: dropping people from the rolls, slashing their benefits or making up the difference by cutting spending on other priorities, such as education, public safety and transportation. None of which House Republicans are willing to acknowledge.”
Los Angeles Times: Opinion: Column: The Family-Values Hypocrisy of Cutting Medicaid.
- “The vote this week represents another cruel example of how certain conservatives have a long history of talking about family values while simultaneously abandoning actual families… House Republicans voted Tuesday to pass a budget proposal that keeps tax cuts (especially for rich folks) from the Trump 1.0 era by cutting costs in other areas. While Medicaid isn’t explicitly mentioned, it is de facto on the chopping block. That’s because the proposal instructs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to find ways to cut spending by $880 billion over 10 years. That committee oversees spending for Medicaid and Medicare among other, smaller programs. Finding that large of a sum of money to save would almost certainly require digging it out of Medicaid. (Republicans wouldn’t dare touch Medicare.)”