The three main house hosts told Hill Wednesday that they were not yet on board with the Chamber of Commerce budget resolution, even after President Trump approved it earlier in the day.
David Valadao (R-Calif.), Nicole Malliotakes (RN.Y.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.) say there are still concerns about the potential Medicaid cuts that GOP lawmakers are aiming to pay for. I've said that. Large packages of tax reductions and other provisions.
It's a sign of concern as GOP leaders are trying to lock up meetings on measures ahead of next week's vote. Republicans can only afford to lose one vote if all members are present and the entire Democrat Caucus votes “No.”
“I'm not relying on that resolution, so I'm making my concerns clear,” Mario Takis said shortly after Trump approved House GOP's single-building plan over the rival Senate's GOP 2-building plan.
“I'm happy to hear he agrees that we need to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but I'm not sure my concern about the specific resolutions and the need for clarity proposed by the house before the vote next week. Mario Takis said he wouldn't rule out.
Baradao, who represents the purple battlefield district, said, “There are probably 10 [Republicans] The concerns show that it is not limited to what the three Republicans are saying.
“I'm really interested in this until I know exactly what's going to go in, what this looks like, or at least I have a pretty good idea,” he added. “But it sounds like the President, me and the others are on the same page, but I don't want to touch Medicaid. We want to make sure we are all on the same page. He is the same page as me. If you're in it, it makes me feel a little better about it.”
Republicans mentioned comments Trump made in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity on Tuesday night. So he says he will not have a major impact on Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid, and is in line with the position of many medium-sized GOP lawmakers.
“We can't touch Social Security unless there's a scam or something. We're going to find it. It'll be strengthened, but it won't be touched,” Trump said. “Medicare, Medicaid, none of those things can be touched.”
The statement goes against statements from some House Republicans who believe Medicaid cuts will be necessary to achieve the minimum spending reduction levels outlined in the conference's budget resolution.
The measure advanced from the Budget Committee last week and is on track for next week's home floor voting, but its target is $1.5 trillion floors to cut spending on the $2 trillion committee. It's laid out. It puts a $4.5 trillion ceiling on the impact of the GOP plan to extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts, including additional border and defense spending and an increase in debt limits of $4 trillion.
The resolution directs the Energy and Commerce Committee, which governs Medicaid, to guide the largest chunk of discovery for every panel to be levied to make a $880 billion cut. Some Republicans say the only way to get to that number is to cut Medicaid.
“There's only one place you can go, and it's Medicaid. Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), who sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee, said last week, “There's other people. Don't get me wrong, but if you're going to be $900 billion, you need to reform something in Medicaid terms.”
Such comments have raised concern among moderate Republicans. Many of them represent districts with many people benefiting from Medicaid.
In 2023, 48.7% of Baradao members in California's 22nd District were eligible for Medicaid. This was 26.8% of members of Mario Takis in District 11 of New York, and 13.9% of bacon components in the Nebraska area, and 13.9% of George Town University's university districts. McCourt Public Policy School.
“I appreciate the President's comments on Honity last night. I reaffirm his commitment to not cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but I need some clarity from my colleagues at home. Medicaid is , reducing it to affect beneficiaries and my hospitals,” Mario Takis said.
Johnson told reporters last week that “Medicaid has never been in the chopping block,” and told reporters the meeting was interested in eradicating “fraud, waste, abuse” from the program and enacting job requirements. .
However, several lawmakers doubt that these two efforts will generate enough money to reach the required cuts. According toCongressional Budget BureauMedicaid labor requirements will reduce federal spending by $100 billion over a decade.
“We don't know how they will move forward without touching Medicaid, but that's one of those situations we don't know until we pass, and the committee starts their work and we'll be able to do it. I look at the package. “I'm worried,” Valadao said.
Bacon wants assurances that meetings won't chase more parts of the program.
“My leadership question is, how do I cut $880 billion? [Energy and Commerce Committee] Without it significantly reduce Medicaid, I'm not interested in voting for anything that leads to a big cut [the committee] When even the president says he's against it,” Bacon repeated. “That's where I stand.”
If the committee does not achieve tax cuts with budget resolution, the total amount that the tax portion of the package can add to the deficit will decrease, and it may find a reduction to put pressure on the panel. House Republicans of the Budget Committee added the language to the resolution in the form of amendments last week. This was key to ensuring support among Hardline Republicans.
However, the amendment exacerbates concern among some lawmakers as they seek to get many Trump's expensive tax wish list items in the package. The budget resolution now allows a $4.5 trillion cap on the impact of Republican plans to extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts on the deficit.
“That's another piece of this, and that's why the last minute fix they put there is a hassle for me,” Mario Takis said.
“It should be awkward for the President if he wants to achieve the agenda of tax exemption on tips, tax relief for seniors. [state and local tax (SALT)] The 15% made in America are all my priorities and they are all my priorities. It will also be difficult to achieve in the top line given to us by existing instructions and budget committees. ”
The debate over Medicaid comes as Republicans are trying to pass a budget resolution. This will unlock the budget settlement process. This is a procedure the party is trying to use to avoid democratic opposition in the Senate. The budget resolution presents the directions of the committees used to create the ultimate settlement package.
The trio of moderate Republicans have expressed concern over the current budget resolution plan, but it appears there is a way to secure support. This allows the process to proceed. Historically, moderates were easier to board than conservatives.
“We're part of this process and it's just moving forward,” Valadao said when asked what he needs to hear from top lawmakers to support the measure. Ta. “Talking to your leadership about making sure Medicaid is still there and sticking to what the president says, my words, etc., that it won't affect those people, at least for those who need it most. ”
But California Republicans have made it clear that even beyond Medicaid conversations, the path to advance could become messy.
“It's a difficult place for us all to want to see the tax bill as we hope that this current policy will continue. Valadao said Republicans must tackle it in the future. cited another troubling issue: “It's just that we're going to be ahead of some tough times.”
