Medicaid Cuts, Take 2: Senate Floats Second Bill To Pursue Policy Priorities
Republican party leaders are eyeing fall for passage of legislation that would include provisions cut from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. One such provision is rolling back the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion. Plus, news outlets unpack the megabill's effects.
Politico:
Senate Finance Chair Endorses A Second Megabill This Fall
Fresh from passage of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo wants to pursue another party-line megabill and is tentatively eyeing fall for the next bite at the apple. “I’ve always been in favor of a three-bill strategy and there’s a ton of things that we need to do,” Crapo said in a brief interview Tuesday evening. Crapo largely declined to say what he would want to see in a second megabill, though he noted there are items that got left out of the final version of the massive domestic policy package Trump signed into law this past weekend. (Carney, 7/8)
Politico:
Ron Johnson Believes He Will Get ‘Second Bite Of The Apple’ On Medicaid Cuts
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) believes he has a commitment from the White House and Senate GOP leadership to get another chance to repeal an expansion of Medicaid offerings — a controversial proposal that failed to make it the final version of President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy package. “I think I pretty well have a commitment. They’re going to do that,” Johnson told reporters of the prospects that Republicans will reconsider a provision that would end the federal government’s 90 percent cost share of funding for new enrollees in states that expanded Medicaid under the Democrats’ 2010 health care law. (Guggenheim, 7/8)
More on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act —
NBC News:
Medical Students Fret Over Student Loan Cap In 'Big, Beautiful Bill'
A provision tucked inside a sweeping bill signed into law by President Donald Trump last week will make it harder for thousands of aspiring doctors to finance their education as the country faces a growing shortage in that profession. The move will cap the amount of federal loans students can borrow for graduate school to $20,500 a year — with a total limit of $100,000 — and cap loans for professional programs, such as medical, dental or law school, at $50,000 a year, with a total limit of $200,000. (Pettypiece and Shabad, 7/8)
The Hill:
GOP Faces ‘Big, Beautiful’ Blowback Risk On ObamaCare Subsidies Cuts
Medicaid cuts have received the lion’s share of attention from critics of Republicans’ sweeping tax cuts legislation, but the GOP’s decision not to extend enhanced ObamaCare subsidies could have a much more immediate impact ahead of next year’s midterms. Extra subsidies put in place during the coronavirus pandemic are set to expire at the end of the year, and there are few signs Republicans are interested in tackling the issue at all. To date, only Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) have spoken publicly about wanting to extend them. (Weixel, 7/8)
AP:
Trump's Big Bill Cuts Medicaid, SNAP: How It Could Affect Babies
The impact of the massive spending bill that President Donald Trump signed into law on Independence Day is expected to filter down to infants and toddlers — a segment of the population that is particularly vulnerable to cuts to the federal social safety net. Many middle-class and wealthy families will see benefits from the new legislation, but programs that help low-income families keep babies healthy have been cut back. While state money funds public schools and preschool in some cases, programs supporting the youngest children are largely backed by the federal government. (Balingit, 7/9)
The Hill:
Brooke Rollins Says Medicaid Recipients Could Bolster Farm Workforce
“There’s been a lot of noise in the last few days and a lot of questions about where the president stands and his vision for farm labor,” Rollins said during a news conference with Republican governors. “Ultimately, the answer on this is automation, also some reform within the current governing structure, and then also, when you think about there are 34 million able-bodied adults in our Medicaid program, there are plenty of workers in America.” (Crisp, 7/8)
Axios:
Trump's Spending Bill Cuts Medicaid: Here's What It's Called In Your State
Because states have varying names for their Medicaid programs, Americans may not realize the cuts apply to them. (Habeshian, 7/8)