(ConservativeHub.com) – House Democrats have vowed to protect Medicaid as Republicans search for ways to cut spending for the low-income healthcare program in an effort to reduce the budget deficit. According to an article from The Hill, President Biden and the Democrats have maintained that any cuts to Medicaid would have disproportionate effects on vulnerable populations, noting that low-income kids, seniors, and the disabled would not be able to handle the hit. According to statistics, these groups represent around three-quarters of Medicaid spending.
Democrats have promised to protect the program from the budget-cutting battles and designs of the GOP. This is during a time when an extensive debate about increasing the debt ceiling is necessary in order to avoid a government shutdown.
Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (N.J.), a senior Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, has said that they were going to “resist them completely,” The Hill reports.
The Republican party has long battled the federal entitlement programs as traditionally they opposed government-run health and retirement programs. However, this year, many GOP leaders have rejected claims that they have any desire to cut Social Security and Medicare. According to The Hill, the reversal among some Republicans was widely influenced by former President Donald Trump who was a fervent supporter of the two programs during his campaign to win the White House in 2016.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has repeatedly noted that the two programs are “off the table” in the debt ceiling negotiations. However, Medicaid may not be completely untouched. Some Republicans are expressing support for proposals that would reform Medicaid as part of their budget-reducing plans.
Copyright 2023, ConservativeHub.com
