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House GOP Divided Over Medicaid Cuts as Senate Advances Budget Plan

Republican lawmakers face internal conflict over deep Medicaid cuts to fund Trump's tax and border priorities, with slim House majority complicating negotiations.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune speak during a dinner for US Republican Senators hosted by US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on Febrary 7, 2025.
Stock photo shows Medicaid Accepted Here sign.
Milly Silva, secretary-treasurer of
1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers union speaks during a rally against any cuts to Medicaid, outside of Congressman Mike Lawler's office at One Blue Hill Plaza in Pearl River Jan. 8, 2025.
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Overview

  • House Republicans are debating Medicaid cuts, with conservative hardliners demanding up to $2.5 trillion in savings, while swing-district members warn such cuts could cost the party its majority.
  • The proposed cuts aim to fund Trump’s tax cuts and border security plans, but Medicaid reductions could impact millions of low-income Americans and reshape the program’s funding structure.
  • Senate Republicans, led by Lindsey Graham, are advancing a smaller budget plan focused on border security and defense spending, avoiding the deeper Medicaid cuts proposed in the House.
  • Trump’s stance on Medicaid remains ambiguous, as he has publicly vowed to protect the program but has also indicated openness to reforms targeting fraud, abuse, and work requirements.
  • The GOP faces challenges in uniting its slim House majority, with potential government shutdown risks if a consensus on budget cuts is not reached by March 14.