FACE YOUR FEARS: Who else saw this coming?
The House is set to vote on a budget resolution possibly as of this recording, Tuesday February 25, which, according to Axios, is the critical first step towards passing the “massive fiscal bill” that President Trump has put forth. The bill would use the budget reconciliation process, allowing budget-related bills to bypass the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster, so only a simple majority is needed.
But this situation is anything but simple as several GOP lawmakers say they remain opposed to the resolution, which would allow for $4.5 TRILLION in tax cuts, a $4 TRILLION debt ceiling increase and $2 TRILLION in spending cuts.
And guess what they want to cut? Medicaid. Now, as of October 2024, more than 72 million people were enrolled in Medicaid in the United States. This includes the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Here in Pennsylvania, my home state, 3.1 million people were enrolled in Medicaid as of June 2024.
Quick rundown: Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that provides health care coverage to low-income individuals and families and covers primary and acute care services, as well as long-term care services. Medicaid accounts for one-fifth of health care spending, more than half of spending for long-term care, and a large share of state budgets.
Today is a test of Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership as he tries to persuade some Republican holdouts who are afraid of the backlash from their constituents.
As many of us have been saying, all of these cuts are to make way for permanent tax cuts for the uber wealthy. This reality is not sitting well with swing-district Republicans who are worried about their political futures.
According to the Washington Post, GOP leaders have been assuring a group of worried Republicans that they’ll focus on “waste, fraud and abuse” within the program and not cut benefits. But there are fears that lawmakers won’t be able to reach the $880 billion threshold without cutting deeply into program benefits — which is why Republicans are furiously scrambling for any plausible alternatives.
REALITY CHECK: And guess what some of those alternatives could be?
Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) has floated a number of non-Medicaid related options as potential offsets, including repealing climate initiatives and electric vehicle incentives enacted under President Joe Biden.
According to PBS: Language in the order and others issued by Trump on Monday indicate he is likely to seek to repeal a $7,500 tax credit for new EV purchases approved by Congress as part of Biden’s landmark 2022 climate law, as well as roll back Biden-era Environmental Protection Agency rules to tighten limits on greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution from passenger and commercial vehicles.
Guthrie has also said that a major Biden administration effort to expand access to broadband internet — the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program — needs an examination.
This would “make us feel much more comfortable,” he said.
If you aren’t familiar, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is needed to bridge the digital divide by expanding high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved areas, fostering economic growth, and ensuring equal opportunities in education, healthcare, and public safety.
Reliable, high-speed internet access is essential for:
Economic Opportunities: Supporting businesses, creating jobs, and enabling remote work.
Educational Advancement: Providing access to online learning and educational resources.
Healthcare Access: Facilitating telehealth and connecting patients with healthcare providers.
Public Safety: Enhancing emergency services and communication.
So in order for the uber-rich to make even more money off of our backs, we should give up clean air, clean water and the ability to connect online, learn online, connect with healthcare providers online and work online? Take us back to the stone age for what? So Musk and Bezos can have a tenth yacht?
Guess again. The American people have had enough. Call your representatives 202-224-3121 and demand that Medicaid and other public services that we pay for and utilize be expanded, not cut. If they need the money, check the deep pockets of the wealthy and demand they pay their fair share.
Enough free lunch for the one percent.
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