WASHINGTON — The House overcame its first procedural hurdle to get the ball rolling on President Donald Trump’s agenda and budget proposals. Now comes the hard part: finding cuts in government spending to offset the trillion-dollar price tag.
The House budget resolution instructs committees to aim for $2 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade split across seven committees. That number has made some lawmakers uneasy as some of their hardline colleagues have suggested securing those cuts by paring away at programs such as Medicaid.
Those concerns stem from the budget resolution requiring $880 billion in cuts from the Energy and Commerce Committee, the panel largely responsible for overseeing Medicaid.
“The reckless Republican budget will hurt everyday Americans who rely on Medicaid, rely on nutritional assistance and rely on veterans benefits,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said on Tuesday. “This is not a reality show. This is not a joke. This is not politics as usual. It’s a matter of life and death.”
Republicans balk at Medicaid cuts but support proposed reforms
House GOP leaders have pushed back on those accusations, claiming there are no proposed cuts to Medicaid on the table at the moment. The resolution does not include any mentions of the welfare program and President Donald Trump has vowed not to touch it.
“I have said it so many times you shouldn’t be asking me that question,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday. “We’re not going to touch it.”
However, the president noted the Trump administration would be looking for fraud to root out any abuse. That stipulation has the backing of some Republicans, even as they remain adamant they don’t want to strip recipients of necessary benefits.
“I think it’s very important that people realize we don’t need to take away the safety net from those who need it,” Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, told the Deseret News. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask questions about who’s taking advantage of this program and taking money away from those who really need it.”
While Republicans have vowed not to slash necessary benefits under Medicaid and other welfare programs, Curtis urged lawmakers to engage in conversations about reining in fraudulent spending. For example, the Utah senator said, ensuring only those who absolutely need the program are enrolled.
“If we don’t, we’re headed to a place where we will have to make bad choices, because you can’t keep the trajectory (of) $2 trillion of overspending a year,” Curtis said. “At some point that crashes, and now we are taking benefits away from people who truly need them.”
However, Medicaid proponents say spending cuts in some areas would result in higher costs elsewhere.
“This is a vital program that every cut, arguably, is going to actually cost the taxpayer more,” Matt Slonaker, executive director of the Utah Health Policy Project, told the Deseret News. “Maybe not in their taxes, but somewhere else: in premiums, in the the copayments, and the other programs, charities — whatever it might be to make up the need in the community.”
Medicaid advocates warn of unintended consequences of spending cuts
Medicaid advocates and recipients have also said that cuts, even those that are minimal, could have drastic effects for those who rely on the government program.
“The level of cuts that are being targeted to Medicaid are not ‘cutting fat,’” Slonaker said. “They’re cutting meat, they’re cutting the bone, and they will result in loss of coverage for thousands of Utahns, in addition to potential loss of benefits for others that still remain covered.”
Almost 24% of the country relies on Medicaid benefits, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the U.S. Census Bureau. About 11% of Utahns are enrolled in the program.
In the Beehive State, children make up the largest Medicaid population, averaging about 71% of the traditional population between 1996 and 2023, according to the Kem C. Gardner Institute at the University of Utah. Comparably, adults average 17% of traditional enrollees in that same time period and those who are blind or disabled comprise 12%.
And for those who rely on Medicaid, several are concerned about the future of their health coverage.
“I work a part-time job making $8 an hour at a coin laundry in my area to supplement my disability. My family is barely making it,” said Mary Beth Cochran, a North Carolina resident who appeared alongside House Democrats on Tuesday to rally against the budget resolution. “At times, I’ve had to skip refilling my prescriptions so my grandkids wouldn’t have to skip meals.”
“This shouldn’t be going on. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue. This is a world issue,” she added. “We don’t need these cuts. Right now, I’m terrified because Republican leaders seem poised to take critical resources away from my family.”
Medicaid can also benefit incarcerated people being reintroduced to society, according to advocates, arguing the program is crucial for their adjustment.
“I think Medicaid plays a really important role in re-entry for people leaving incarceration so that when they get back into the community, they have the necessary supports — even down to a month’s worth of medication,” Daryl Herrschaft, a coordinator with the UHHP, told the Deseret News. “So the community benefits from that Medicaid program.”
But, but, but … lawmakers say no decisions have been made
While Democrats sound the alarm about the budget resolution making its way through Congress, Republican lawmakers have stressed that no decisions have been made yet.
Instead, Republicans have underscored the resolution merely “establishes a framework for Congress to move forward with reconciliation.” The correlating spending cuts are still unknown, they say.
“It does not address any issues related to Medicaid,” Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, told the Deseret News in a statement. “However, Medicaid is in need of reform, as it contributes significantly to our nation’s deficit and accounts for the highest number of fraudulent government payments.”
Meanwhile, Republicans have criticized Democrats for attempting to politicize the issue by stoking fears of Medicaid cuts before any agreements have been made.
“There’s a lot of panic right now about things that are theoretical. They haven’t happened. We don’t even know if they’re going to happen,” Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah told the Deseret News. “Some people are trying to scare people. And then I think there are a lot of well meaning people who are just believing what they’re being told. But the truth is, nobody knows what’s in reconciliation.”