{"id":2405006,"date":"2025-02-21T07:30:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T12:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/medicaid-cuts-put-gop-on-collision-course-amid-budget-debate-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-02-21T07:32:17","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T12:32:17","slug":"medicaid-cuts-put-gop-on-collision-course-amid-budget-debate-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/medicaid-cuts-put-gop-on-collision-course-amid-budget-debate-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Medicaid cuts put GOP on collision course amid budget debate &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmedicaid-cuts-put-gop-on-collision-course-amid-budget-debate-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2405006&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-progress-stalls-as-republicans-appear-to-walk-back-stopgap-spending-deal\/\" title=\"... progress stalls as ... backtrack on stopgap spending deal.\">current challenges faced<\/a> by Republican lawmakers regarding\u2062 Medicaid cuts as they work toward passing\u200b President trump&#8217;s \u200cbudget plan. Tensions have arisen due to\u200c differing views within the party about their \u2063approach to cutting Medicaid, a program that provides \u2062healthcare assistance to 72 \u2062million lower-income Americans. House Speaker Mike Johnson&#8217;s budget framework \u200csuggests significant\u200b cuts to Medicaid, which many within the GOP fear \u2063could\u200c jeopardize healthcare for vulnerable populations and alienate party members from districts heavily reliant on the program. <\/p>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader John \u2064Thune proposes postponing discussions \u200don Medicaid until later in \u2062the year, focusing rather on \u200da narrower budget\u2064 plan \u200dcovering defense and energy. Despite \u200dTrump&#8217;s assurances that Medicaid will not be touched, he has simultaneously endorsed plans that\u200b could severely impact the program. The divided opinions within the party present a \u2063significant hurdle to the\u200d GOP&#8217;s agenda,with many senators expressing\u2064 concerns about the implications of such cuts. The article emphasizes the impending conflict as lawmakers\u2062 struggle to reconcile their budgetary goals with the potential consequences for constituents reliant on\u2064 Medicaid.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Medicaid cuts put GOP on collision course in race to pass Trump budget<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1960536\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Republicans have hit a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/medicaid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Medicaid\">Medicaid<\/a> blockade that is threatening to derail passage of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3323388\/trump-undercuts-lindsey-graham-budget-plan-key-senate-vote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"President Trump's agenda.\">President Donald Trump&rsquo;s agenda.<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>GOP lawmakers are racing to nowhere fast unless the two chambers can find agreement on the major sticking point in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3322524\/thune-budget-bill-floor-vote-a-rama\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"rival budget plans\">rival budget plans<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>House Speaker Mike Johnson&rsquo;s (R-LA) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3318021\/house-releases-budget-blueprint-trump-agenda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"sweeping budget framework\">sweeping budget framework<\/a> would renew $4.5 trillion of Trump&rsquo;s expiring tax cuts from 2017 coupled with $2 trillion in spending reductions that would include slashing Medicaid by hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) wants to punt on Medicaid until a second budget bill later this year focused on tax cuts and is instead moving ahead on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3322524\/thune-budget-bill-floor-vote-a-rama\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"narrower $340 billion\">narrower $340 billion<\/a> measure covering the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3314278\/graham-plows-ahead-budget-blueprint-mike-johnson-objections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">border, energy, and defense<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Trump and his aides have given Congress whiplash on possible changes to the safety net program that <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">covers 72 million lower-income people<\/a>. White House officials pledge to slash only &ldquo;waste, fraud, and abuse.&rdquo; Trump vowed Medicaid &ldquo;isn&rsquo;t going to be touched,&rdquo; only to endorse hours later the House budget that could jeopardize coverage for millions.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m for whatever can get the 218 [votes] in the House and the 51 [votes] in the Senate,&rdquo; said Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) after dodging an initial question on Senate GOP leadership&rsquo;s Medicaid position. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll wait to see what the House is able to do.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The opposing views on Medicaid present Republicans the greatest threat to passing their conservative priorities, even as many in the party haggle over one mega bill vs. two trimmed-down bills.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be one of the more sensitive issues,&rdquo; Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) said. &ldquo;If it means cuts to individual services that get passed on to states, it&rsquo;s probably a bad idea.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Across the ideological spectrum, Republican senators have heartburn over the House&rsquo;s proposed Medicaid cuts, an indication that it would be unlikely to pass the upper chamber. Under the 10-year plan, the House Energy and Commerce Committee would have to reduce spending to programs it oversees by $880 billion, forcing hundreds of billions in cuts to Medicaid.<\/p>\n<p>The Medicaid program costs $880 billion alone to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/conservative-group-campaigns-against-immigration-program-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Conservative group campaigns against immigration ... - Washington Examiner\">provide taxpayer-subsidized healthcare<\/a> to lower-income Americans in partnership with states. <\/p>\n<p>The reductions are likely needed if Johnson hopes to achieve the level of offsets demanded by the right flank of his party to extend Trump&rsquo;s tax cuts, but he&rsquo;s simultaneously alienating Hispanic Republicans and those who have large Hispanic populations in their districts that rely on Medicaid. Johnson holds a one<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/victoria-spartz-boycott-foreshadows-problems-for-mike-johnsons-shaky-house-majority-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Victoria Spartz boycott foreshadows problems for Mike Johnson\u2019s shaky ... majority - Washington Examiner\">-seat majority due<\/a> to vacancies and has no room for error.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Slashing Medicaid would have serious consequences, particularly in rural and predominantly Hispanic communities where hospitals and nursing homes are already struggling to keep their doors open,&rdquo; House Republicans opposed to the cuts <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepTonyGonzales\/status\/1892352496917459386\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">wrote in a letter<\/a> to Johnson.<\/p>\n<p>Congressional Republicans can pass such proposals with a simple majority under what&rsquo;s known as budget reconciliation, rendering a Senate filibuster by Democrats off the table. With virtually no legislative power to block Republicans, Democrats are resorting to a wave of messaging that the GOP&rsquo;s policy agenda will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-rep-denies-link-between-biden-admins-massive-spending-and-inflation\/\" title=\"Democrat Rep. Denies Link Between Biden Admin\u2019s Massive Spending and Inflation\">hurt working-class families<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Donald Trump talks to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) left, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), right, after he spoke to the National Prayer Breakfast at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll expose Republicans&rsquo; plan to cut healthcare so that billionaires can have another tax break,&rdquo; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said on the chamber floor.<\/p>\n<p>The House advanced its version out of committee last week but has not received a floor vote. The Senate was poised to pass its version on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond installing work requirements for Medicaid recipients, which would save only about $100 billion, there&rsquo;s little else Republicans can agree on.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) described the House&rsquo;s version as dead on arrival in the Senate because the cuts were inadequate while others said it was off the table for going too far. The largest possible savings, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2025\/01\/28\/upshot\/2025-republican-policy-proposals.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">$900 billion<\/a>, could come from capping the amount the federal government pays states for each beneficiary, which Republicans tried in 2017 when they attempted to repeal Obamacare but are again running into pushback.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;However they structure the formula, I don&rsquo;t want to see there being steep cuts to benefits,&rdquo; Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a problem.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Known as Medicaid per-capita caps, the federal government would place more of the cost burden on states, leading to expected eligibility cuts by states. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), whose state has one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kff.org\/interactive\/medicaid-state-fact-sheets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">highest per-capita Medicaid recipient rates<\/a> in the country, said it was presumptuous to consider it a cut to healthcare as opposed to &ldquo;cuts [to] how states are currently gaming the system to generate additional revenue.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>This week, Trump told Fox News&rsquo;s Sean Hannity in a joint interview with billionaire ally Elon Musk that &ldquo;Medicare, Medicaid &mdash; none of that stuff is going to be touched.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be strengthened but won&rsquo;t be touched,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p>Trump endorsed Johnson&rsquo;s plan the following morning, catching Republicans off guard and prompting the White House to clarify the president&rsquo;s Medicaid position.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3244610\/four-big-deadlines-2025-trump-congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>FOUR BIG DEADLINES IN 2025 THAT WILL TEST GOP TRIFECTA LEADERSHIP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The American people gave President Trump a mandate to improve healthcare for everyday Americans while streamlining government bloat,&rdquo; White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai said in a statement. &ldquo;The Trump administration is committed to protecting Medicaid while slashing the waste, fraud, and abuse within the program &mdash; reforms that will increase efficiency and improve care for beneficiaries.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>An earlier version of the statement also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/02\/19\/senate-medicaid-cuts-trump-00205042\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">mentioned Medicare<\/a> but was later revised to omit the government healthcare program for seniors.<\/p>\n<p><em>Haisten Willis contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1960536\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1960536\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Medicaid cuts threaten GOP&#8217;s efforts to pass Trump&#8217;s budget<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3409,"featured_media":2405007,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/gop-headed-collision-course-over-medicaid-cuts.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[50790,6203,37167,11975,32076],"class_list":["post-2405006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-budget-debate","tag-gop","tag-healthcare-policy","tag-medicaid","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/gop-headed-collision-course-over-medicaid-cuts.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2405006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3409"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2405006"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2405006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2405010,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2405006\/revisions\/2405010"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2405007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2405006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2405006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2405006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}