Some insane accusations were just made.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) launched a sharp attack on Republicans Thursday, accusing them of misleading Americans about their proposed changes to Medicaid. Jeffries criticized GOP leaders for claiming that their budget plan would not result in any loss of benefits for patients, asserting that they were not being truthful.
Medicaid has become one of the most contentious aspects of the House Republicans’ budget resolution. This budget aims to advance President Trump’s domestic priorities in his first year back in office. A central feature of the GOP’s approach is the Energy and Commerce Committee, which is tasked with cutting at least $880 billion in spending from programs it oversees, including Medicaid, in order to offset the trillions of dollars in tax cuts the GOP is proposing.
Republican leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), insist they can achieve these cuts without impacting those who rely on Medicaid. They argue that by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, along with implementing new work requirements for some adult beneficiaries, they can make these savings without harming vulnerable populations.
“We are committed to protecting Medicaid benefits for those who truly need it and qualify,” Johnson emphasized in a recent statement. “Our focus is on getting rid of fraud, waste, and abuse.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) further dismissed concerns, waving a copy of the budget resolution to challenge Democrats to find any mention of Medicaid cuts within the bill. He flatly stated, “There are no Medicaid cuts in this bill.”
However, Democrats have strongly opposed this narrative. They argue that while the budget bill does not explicitly mention Medicaid, the massive cuts required from the Energy and Commerce Committee would inevitably target Medicaid, which accounts for a significant portion of their spending. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) pointed out that even if other programs were completely eliminated, the committee would still need to slash Medicaid by hundreds of billions of dollars to meet the $880 billion goal.
This debate has become a key talking point in the Democrats’ strategy to counter the GOP’s budget. As the minority party, they lack the votes to defeat the plan outright, but they are hoping to rally public opposition to the cuts. Jeffries is leading this effort, arguing that the proposed cuts would harm vulnerable Americans, including children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities.
In conclusion, Jeffries accuses Republicans of dishonesty, insisting that their proposed cuts to Medicaid would have a devastating impact on those who need it most. He challenged Republicans to prove him wrong, calling their rhetoric on Medicaid “a lie.”