Protests Erupt Over Medicaid Cuts as Budget Vote Approaches

On Wednesday, various left-leaning groups, notably the People’s Action Institute, gathered at the Capitol Hill office building in Washington, preparing for a vote on a “big and beautiful” budget proposal backed by President Donald Trump.

Capitol Police have been responding to multiple protests regarding Medicaid cuts that have disrupted activities in Capitol office buildings recently.

On this particular day, protesters from the Institute of People’s Action occupied the Longworth House Office Building hallways, voicing their opposition to the budget’s Medicaid cuts.

Footage obtained showed demonstrators blocking passages and chanting phrases like “We Got The Power,” with many displaying signs proclaiming “Medicaid cut kill.”

Capitol police swiftly cleared the area, and no arrests appeared to be made.

Democrats have focused on aspects of the budget that threaten to undermine Medicaid, a federal program that has provided health insurance to about 71 million low-income adults and children for nearly 60 years.

The proposed Medicaid cuts are partly intended to fund an extension of Trump’s tax cuts from 2017, which are set to expire this year. This includes new regulations for those seeking coverage, such as work requirements for many individuals.

This protest was not an isolated incident. Just a few days earlier, on May 13, a similar event disrupted a House Energy Committee budget markup.

A video from those earlier protests depicted police urging protesters to leave, stating, “If you haven’t been arrested, go!”

Amid the chaos, Senator Cory Booker encouraged the crowd, asserting, “Continue fighting, keep getting stronger, we won’t let them take health care. You’re leading the way. Thank you.”

In response to the uproar, Unai Montes-Irueste from the Institute of People’s Action asserted that “Medicaid cuts kill. Nothing is more destructive than death,” emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

He continued, “There’s no Congressional district supporting stripping healthcare from Medicaid recipients just so the wealthy can afford new yachts.”

Addressing criticisms of the Republican stance on Medicaid cuts, North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson maintained that Republicans are prioritizing the elimination of “Medicaid waste, fraud, and abuse,” ensuring that the most vulnerable receive necessary care.

According to Hudson, “Democrats are lying to protect the broken status quo that permits illegal immigrants to take from billions of American families. We are fortifying future generations of Medicaid by safeguarding taxpayers and restoring integrity.”

The House plans to vote on the budget bill between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, contingent on the approval of a rule resolution from the House Rules Committee.