By Lauren Burke
After months of denying that there would be cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget bill that would lead to cuts in both programs into the billions of dollars. The budget legislation would represent the largest cut to Medicaid in history if enacted. But the U.S. Senate is expected to make changes to the House version of the bill. If a large cut to Medicaid does take place, that change is likely to damage the financial health of rural hospitals around the U.S. The Trump Budget, known formally as “HR. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” was a struggle for Republican leadership to confirm votes as hardliners pushed for even deeper cuts to social programs and health care claiming fraud and waste were the reason cuts were needed, though — no evidence of mass fraud or waste were presented. “Republicans just voted for the largest cuts to health care in American history — cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act. At least 13.7 million will now lose their health care as a result. And why? To pay for tax cuts for billionaires and special interests,” Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA), the senior Democrat on the House Budget Committee, wrote after the vote.
“I voted NO because this bill would strip health care from 14 million Americans—including nearly 130,000 people in my district who rely on Medicaid. And it would rip food from the tables of at least 3 million Americans, including 115,000 folks in my district who rely on SNAP to feed their families,” wrote Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) in a statement after the bill passed. The budget pushed by President Trump will threaten rural hospitals around the U.S. if Medicaid payments go down substantially. In the final two days before the legislation would be voted on in the early morning hours of May 22, the independent Congressional Budget Office confirmed the impacts of billions in cuts on health care. After a marathon session of committee and House floor debate, the decisive action took place after 7 a.m. this morning. The bill passed the House by 215-214. According to CBO, the bill would add $2.4 trillion over 10 years to the debt. The U.S. debt is currently over $36 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
“Unbridled spending and failed fiscal policies sent our country’s economy into a tailspin. Trillions in deficit spending, trillions more in regulations, cradle-to-grave welfare without work, and an all-out assault on American energy independence wreaked havoc on our economy and created the worst inflation crisis in 40 years,” claimed House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R-TX) in a statement. But Democrats on committees that oversee spending on health care education, countered that argument. “Over 4 million students are estimated to have their Pell Grants reduced or eliminated, over 18 million children are estimated to lose access to free school meals, and over 13 million people are set to lose their health care coverage,” wrote Rep. Bobby Scott in a statement after the vote early this morning. When the bill is considered by the U.S. Senate it is expected to change. But how much is unknown.
