News/Commentary

Medicaid divides House, snares up Trump’s budget bill

February 19, 2025 | | Print Article

Concerns are being raised on the right about the $880 billion in savings that the Trump administration wants the House Energy and Commerce Committee to find.

Last week House Republicans released a budget resolution based on the administration’s demands. The resolution asks for $1.5 trillion in government spending cuts, $880 billion of which is supposed to come from the Energy and Commerce Committee.

The problem is that this is the committee that oversees Medicare and Medicaid. And since President Donald Trump has made it clear he won’t touch Medicare, the only thing left to cut is Medicaid.

“I’m concerned that $880 billion out of [the House Energy & Commerce Committee] is likely [to mean] very steep cuts to Medicaid,” Republican Rep. Don Bacon explained to Fox News.

He’s among a number of Republicans who’ve begun issuing warnings about making any cuts to the welfare healthcare program.

“We want to ensure that it’s not going to hurt… our hospitals, or our organizations that serve the developmentally disabled, and we’re asking for clarity on where the $880 billion in savings come from,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, another Republican, added.

Some other Republicans think that the total desired cuts are too much to begin with.

“They’re trying to sell us $1.5 trillion, but in reality, there’s another $500 billion attached to it that they’re trying to cut,” one House Republican anonymously told Fox News. “And it’s not going to pass.”

There are even some Republicans like Rep. Rob Bresnahan who’ve vowed to vote against any bill that cuts Medicaid:

But there are others like Rep. Ralph Norman who not only acknowledge that Medicaid HAS to be cut but advocate for it.

“Medicaid’s got to be in it. … Work requirements have an $800 billion savings on it… able-bodied 40-year-old men who can work don’t need to be on Medicaid,” he told Fox News.

And then there’s the whiny, lying Democrats. On Tuesday one of their associated PACs, the House Majority PAC, released a memo falsely claiming Republicans want to make “deep cuts” to Medicaid “to fund $4.5 trillion in tax cuts to Elon Musk and other billionaires.”

“In battleground congressional districts across the country, House Republicans are putting Medicaid on the chopping block – a move that would rip life-saving health care away from tens of thousands of their own constituents – roughly half of whom are children,” the memo read.

In reality, the tax cuts proposed by the Trump administration and House Republicans would prevent the American people’s taxes spiking by over 20 percent when Trump’s original 2017 tax cuts expire.

All this comes amid Trump releasing a memo Tuesday demanding every administration department and agency be fully transparent with the public about any cuts they’re making.

“The United States Government spends too much money on programs, contracts, and grants that do not promote the interests of the American people,” the memo reads. “For too long, taxpayers have subsidized ideological projects overseas and domestic organizations engaged in actions that undermine the national interest. The American people have seen their tax dollars used to fund the passion projects of unelected bureaucrats rather than to advance the national interest. The American people have a right to see how the Federal Government has wasted their hard-earned wages.”

“I, therefore, direct the heads of executive departments and agencies to take all appropriate actions to make public, to the maximum extent permitted by law and as the heads of agencies deem appropriate to promote the policies of my Administration, the complete details of every terminated program, canceled contract, terminated grant, or any other discontinued obligation of Federal funds. Agencies shall ensure that such publication occurs in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the underlying contract, grant, or other award,” it continues.

Vivek Saxena
Latest posts by Vivek Saxena (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles