Moderate House Republicans Warn Mike Johnson Against Medicaid Cuts

President Donald Trump endorsed the House GOP budget, but has sent mixed signals about Medicaid.

WASHINGTON ― A group of Republicans on Wednesday warned House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) they don’t like the safety net cuts outlined in a budget outline the House could vote on later this month.

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) and seven other moderate Republicans representing districts with sizable Hispanic populations warned in a letter to Johnson that they don’t want to “slash programs that support American communities across our nation.”

In order to move a budget through the House without any Democratic support, Johnson can lose only one Republican vote — so the Gonzales-led faction could easily block the budget’s path. The lawmakers did not say outright they would oppose Johnson’s budget, however.

The House Budget Committee approved the budget resolution last week, which calls for as much as $880 billion in Medicaid cuts over ten years, with potential reductions to federal food assistance and Pell grants as well. The safety net cuts would partly offset a $4.5 trillion tax cut extension.

“Nearly 30% of Medicaid enrollees are Hispanic Americans, and for many families across the country, Medicaid is their only access to health care,” the Republicans wrote. “Slashing Medicaid would have serious consequences, particularly in rural and predominantly Hispanic communities where hospitals and nursing homes are already struggling to keep their doors open.”