On Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) expressed his opposition to the House spending bill during a CNN segment, citing concerns about “true Medicaid benefits.”
Hawley stated, “This should be a fundamental principle: cutting healthcare for low-income workers is simply wrong. That’s the issue at hand with Medicaid. In Missouri, which has expanded Medicaid, over 20% of our population relies on it, including many children.”
“I’m not in favor of reducing funding for rural hospitals. I worry that this House bill goes too far. Essentially, I’m against hidden taxes that burden working poor individuals seeking healthcare. I have concerns about that.”
Manu Raju, the host, inquired, “What if this bill comes from the House to the Senate and you’re required to vote on it, assuming no changes are made?”
Hawley replied, “I will not support this version of the bill. It’s clear to me that it needs to be altered before reaching the Senate. I’m firm on my stance. It’s about not reducing Medicaid benefits. I’d like to discuss work requirements—Medicaid should not be used to support that.”
