Democrats Target Republicans on Medicaid in Senate Budget Battle
Washington, D.C. – Democrats are preparing to challenge Republicans in the Senate over Medicaid funding during Thursday’s "Vote-a-Rama," a marathon of votes triggered by the passage of the Senate GOP budget resolution. The move aims to put Republicans on the record regarding potential cuts to the program, which has become a contentious issue in budget discussions, particularly in states heavily reliant on Medicaid.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who recently won re-election in a state that also voted for President Donald Trump, is spearheading the Democratic effort with several amendments to the Senate GOP budget resolution, all designed to preserve Medicaid funding. These amendments, shared exclusively with Fox News Digital, target specific Medicaid populations, including seniors, children, individuals struggling with drug addiction, Americans residing in rural areas, and pregnant women.
"Americans want us to lower the cost of their health care, not rip it away from new moms, seniors in long-term care, and poor kids," Baldwin stated to Fox News Digital. "Republicans have claimed they would protect Medicaid – despite their budget telling us otherwise – but tonight, they will have the chance to put their money where their mouth is: Will they prevent Medicaid from being cut, or will they put it on the chopping block to fund their billionaire tax break?"
Baldwin’s amendments are expected to be voted on after amendments introduced by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Democrats. The first amendment of the evening, according to a Senate Democratic source, will aim to prevent Republicans from extending the tax cuts implemented by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), a priority for Trump. If passed, this amendment would prohibit reconciliation legislation from providing tax cuts to individuals earning over $1,000,000,000 per year.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has voiced opposition to potential Medicaid cuts. "I don’t like the idea of massive Medicaid cuts. We should have no Medicare cuts of any kind," he said in an interview with the Huffington Post.
Medicaid cuts could prove unpopular in Republican states with significant Medicaid coverage, such as Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, and West Virginia, where over 25% of the population was covered by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as of last year, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
After Senate Republicans cleared a procedural vote on their budget last week, a 50-hour debate clock was triggered, expiring on Thursday evening. A marathon of votes, known as a "Vote-a-Rama," will then commence, allowing senators to introduce an unlimited number of amendments and force multiple votes on the Senate floor.
The "Vote-a-Rama" represents a calculated risk for Senate Republicans, particularly in light of Trump’s endorsement of the House GOP budget resolution over their own on Truth Social. However, Vice President J.D. Vance has given GOP senators a green light to proceed with their budget despite Trump’s endorsement, according to sources who spoke to Fox News Digital.
The Democrats’ Medicaid amendments and other expected votes during the "Vote-a-Rama" will put Republicans in the position of having to take potentially uncomfortable votes on issues prioritized by their Democratic counterparts. The budget process and its associated votes will undoubtedly shape the political landscape leading up to the 2024 elections.
