Ahead of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s scheduled markup next Tuesday where it will consider up to $880 billion in deep Medicaid cuts, more and more Republican elected leaders – including President Trump – are voicing their concerns over cuts that would impact the health and wellbeing of over 70 million Americans – including children, seniors, veterans, and hardworking families.

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President Donald Trump – “If it cuts [Medicaid], I would not approve. I would veto it.”

Senator Susan Collins (ME) – “I want to make sure that we are not depriving seniors, children, low-income families, people with disabilities, and our rural hospitals of Medicaid.”

Senator Josh Hawley (MO) – “If it’s something that results in reductions in benefits to folks who depend on it and who are qualified and are working, I’m not going to vote for that.”  & “Tonight, I spoke for a good bit with President Trump about Medicaid – he told me the House will NOT cut Medicaid benefits, and the Senate will NOT cut Medicaid benefits, and he won’t sign any benefit cuts. I hope congressional leadership will get the message.”

Senator Jerry Moran (KS) – “Medicaid is a national component in the federal government’s role of providing health care in our state. While I agree that any flaws or abuse of government programs should be eliminated, Congress must also work to protect the programs that work to assist vulnerable Americans, low-income Kansans, and those with disabilities, and keep hospital doors open and make certain rural communities continue to survive.”

Senator Bernie Moreno (OH) – “We don’t need to cut benefits. And it actually really infuriates me to hear people here talking about that, because it stresses people out. This is life and death for them. There’s not 50 votes for any kind of cuts in benefits. That’s just a fact.”

Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK) – “I did not support Medicaid cuts back then, and I’m not going to be supporting Medicaid cuts now. I know what it means to Alaskans, and I know what it would mean to you here in the legislature. There may be some reasonable reforms, and we’ve talked a little bit about them, about what we may be able to do within Medicaid, because we do need to address the rising costs of these entitlement programs. Medicaid needs to be examined through that light. But I just can’t be on board with anything that hurts our people or puts you in a budget hole.”

Senator Tommy Tuberville (AL) – “$880 billion over the next ten years for Medicaid? That’s a lot of money. My state of Alabama, it would really decimate. 3 out of 5 kids in our state are on Medicaid. It would be a tough situation. We’ve got to find our way around it.”

Representative Don Bacon (NE-02) – “There will not be the votes to cut Medicaid for those who need it or to the hospitals that we need to preserve.”

Representative Young Kim (CA-40) – “A budget that does not protect vital Medicaid services for the most vulnerable citizens in my community will not receive my vote. I’ve made this clear to my constituents and to House leadership and will continue to do so.”

Representative Mike Lawler (NY-17) – “There is a strong and loud group of us that are not going to be bullied into supporting something that we don’t agree with.” &  “I’ve said from the very beginning: I’m against per capita caps, I’m against changing the FMAP floor.”

Representative Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) – “We made very clear, we won’t vote for something that takes away benefits from seniors, disabled, and vulnerable people that we represent who rely on Medicaid…We will not do anything that’ll [erode] benefits.”

Representative David Valadao (CA-22) – “What can pass the Senate? Don’t ask a bunch of us in the House just to vote for something that will fail in the Senate and or get vetoed by the president on things that we’re very, very concerned with. It’s a dangerous situation.”

Representative Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02) – Said he will not vote for any bill that “cuts eligible recipients, whether they be entities such as hospitals and nursing homes, or human beings, from Medicaid. You don’t take stuff away from people who are legally and appropriately receiving it. Don’t do that. That’s bad. If you want to do a one-hour tutorial on how to lose your majority, do that. Go ahead and do that stuff, and you can write a game plan on how to lose your majority.”

Representatives David Valadao, Don Bacon, Jeff Van Drew, Rob Bresnahan (PA-08), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Jen Kiggans (VA-02), Young Kim, Rob Wittman (VA-01), Nicole Malliotakis, Nick LaLota (NY-01), Mike Lawler, Andrew Garbarino (NY-02) and Jeff Hurd (CO-03) – “We cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.”

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