Overview

• In a June 8 CBS interview, Kevin Hassett said the White House would consider Medicare cuts put forward by the Senate, echoing Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s own discussions of entitlement reductions
• Hassett walked back earlier claims that Medicare was “totally not on the table,” attributing initial denials to false reports
• He identified waste, fraud and abuse as the key criteria that would trigger any review of Medicare
• A Congressional Budget Office report warns proposed Medicaid changes could strip coverage from millions while polls show 76% of Americans oppose such cuts
• Moderate and conservative Senate Republicans remain split over the depth of Medicaid and other entitlement reductions as they negotiate the reconciliation bill