Almost half the people Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) represents use Medicaid.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Zuma
House Republicans whose seats are not safe in the 2026 midterm elections voted early on Thursday morning to advance the largest cuts to Medicaid in history, endangering health care for millions of the poorest Americans. Several cast these votes after making promises to protect the Great Society program that provides health care to millions.
Democrats are already hoping the vote will cause them to lose re-election next year. “When the votes are ultimately cast on that first Tuesday in November,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “this day may very well turn out to be the day that House Republicans lost control of the United States House of Representatives.”
“Anyone saying the GOP is cutting Medicaid is lying,”
Rep. Luna falsely posted.
The first months of the Trump administration have been dominated by its authoritarian impulses and corrupt money-grabbing, from disappearing people to El Salvador to his on-again-off-again trade war to the president collecting millions through his personal crypto currency. But the bill Republicans just passed is classic GOP: Cut vital benefits for the poor to line the pockets of the rich.
The bill places work requirements on Medicaid recipients, which is expected to cost millions of people their health insurance. Pushing people off the Medicaid rolls is the point, because it is how the GOP found some of the savings it would use to offset tax cuts for the wealthy. (The bill also funds the tax cuts by increasing the deficit by trillions of dollars.)
The work requirements are slated to go into effect by the end of 2026. Notably, that deadline is a few weeks after the 2026 midterm elections, an obvious attempt to shield House members from any political fallout.
Still, Democrats will surely attempt to use elected Republicans’ own past statements they would preserve Medicaid against them as they try to take back control of Congress.
Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), for example, posted less than a month ago “I won’t support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.” In 2023, the Hill recently reported, “48.7 percent of Valadao’s constituents… were covered by Medicaid.” But this morning he voted for the bill.
His colleague, Rep. Kent Calvert (R-Calif.), likewise assured constituents “I am committed to protecting Medicaid benefits for Americans who rely on the program, including children, mothers, and the disabled.” He also voted yes.
From Arizona, GOP Rep. Juan Ciscomani supported the bill, despite having promised that “from day one in Congress” he was “committed to ensuring access to Medicaid to those who need it.” That’s the opposite of what work requirements do, as it is not always possible for people to find jobs necessary to keep their Medicaid, and those with jobs often lose it because of onerous reporting requirements.
Or take Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) who posted bluntly in March, that “Anyone saying the GOP is cutting Medicaid is lying.”
The bill now goes to the Senate. If it passes there without major modification and Trump signs it into law, as appears very likely, then Republicans will have succeeded in slashing both Medicaid and food support through SNAP at the same time the president’s economic policies are threatening to put the US economy into a recession.
It’s an opportunity for Democrats—if they can convince voters that the president and congressional Republicans are to blame for the coming carnage.
