A group of House Republicans warned Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team that they would not help pass President Trump’s agenda if it includes deep cuts to Medicaid.
After months of back and forth and disagreements that nearly derailed the whole process, Congressional Republicans are poised to dive into the filibuster-proof budget reconciliation process that they plan to use to pass sweeping tax and spending cuts, border and defense funding, and energy policy changes.
But a dozen House Republicans in swing districts drew a sharp red line on Medicaid cuts in a letter Wednesday to Mr. Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, Minority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota and Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie of Kentucky.
“Balancing the federal budget must not come at the expense of those who depend on these benefits for their health and economic security,” wrote the moderate Republicans, led by Reps. David Valadao of California and Don Bacon of Nebraska.
Their resistance to deep cuts to Medicaid is enough to sink the budget reconciliation package that will be the vehicle to pass Mr. Trump’s agenda without Democratic votes.
They issued the warning while Congress is on a two-week break for Easter and Passover. While away, lawmakers are expected to begin putting together pieces and parts for the broader reconciliation package.
The House’s budget resolution instructed committees to find at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade to reduce federal deficits. The lion’s share of cuts would come from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid and other programs. The panel was instructed to find at least $880 billion in cuts.
Republicans have waved off Democrats’ charges that they are going to gut Medicaid. Republicans insist they will root out waste, fraud and abuse in the program without reducing benefits to legitimate recipients.
Mr. Johnson said last week that Republicans were focused on returning work requirements to Medicaid, a popular idea among the GOP that could stop able-bodied people from “draining resources” from those who are truly in need.
“We’re going to protect the benefits that everyone is legally entitled to, the beneficiaries who have a legal right to that, it will be preserved,” Mr. Johnson said. “Those are essential safety net programs that Republicans support.”
The lawmakers who wrote the letter agreed with that message. They said they backed “targeted reforms” that do not “divert resources away from children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and pregnant women – those who the program was intended to help.”
“However,” they said, “We cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.”
