WASHINGTON — President Trump headed to Capitol Hill this morning to try to seal the deal on his “big, beautiful budget bill” in an attempt to unify divided House Republicans on the multi-trillion dollar package. The bill passed out of the House Budget Committee in an unusual late-night vote on Sunday as the bill seeks to extend Trump’s tax cuts, boost his border funding priorities, and reforming food assistance programs and Medicaid.
North-central Iowa congresswoman Ashley Hinson says the cuts proposed for Medicaid are only for those who shouldn’t be in the program. “The key I support is making sure this program exists for people who actually need it. What we’ve seen is that over a million illegal immigrants have been getting coverage on Medicaid. That’s unacceptable and that coverage should be going to people who actually need it. When you look at the provisions in the bill, that’s exactly what it’s supposed to do. It kicks illegal immigrants off of taxpayer-funded Medicaid benefits, 1.4 million of them.”
Hinson says the bill eliminates waste, fraud and abuse and directs benefits to those who deserve them. “The intent of Medicaid is to protect those with disabilities, seniors, single mothers with children, not 29-year-old men playing video games on their mother’s couch in the basement. We want people getting back to work. If you don’t qualify for Medicaid benefits, you shouldn’t be receiving them, and that includes illegal immigrants. I’m going to work to make sure we’re protecting and preserving this vital program and the benefits for those who need them and qualify.”
An estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the proposal would reduce the number of people with health care by at least 7.6 million from the Medicaid changes, and possibly more with other changes to the Affordable Care Act.
