Overview

• A group of 12 moderate House Republicans, led by Reps. David Valadao and Don Bacon, sent a letter to GOP leadership opposing Medicaid coverage cuts in the reconciliation process.
• The lawmakers represent districts with significant Medicaid reliance and warn that cuts could harm hospitals, nursing homes, and safety-net providers, particularly in rural areas.
• The House budget resolution directs $880 billion in spending cuts over the next decade, a target analysts say is unattainable without impacting Medicaid funding.
• Republican leadership asserts their focus is on Medicaid reforms, such as addressing waste, fraud, and abuse, and implementing work requirements, rather than reducing benefits.
• The GOP's narrow House majority complicates efforts to reconcile fiscal hawks' demands for deep cuts with moderates' insistence on protecting vulnerable populations.