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.