The Republican Plan to Cut Medicaid Is Hiding in Plain Sight
The president has repeatedly promised that the party will leave Medicare alone, so the only option is to cut the government’s other large health-care program.
What did Republicans just vote for?
Photographer: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images North AmericaDemocrats say that House Republicans voted last week to enact huge cuts to Medicaid. Republicans say they did no such thing. As a matter of procedure, Republicans are telling the truth. As a question of substance, Democrats are right.
The mismatch stems from one of the many oddities of the budget reconciliation process. To delve into the weeds for just a paragraph: The US Senate has 53 Republicans, which is two more than a majority, but they can’t pass much legislation because Senate rules — designed to protect the rights of the minority — require a minimum of 60 votes for most bills. There is an exception, however: If a bill is mostly about taxes and spending, it can pass with a simple majority. To consider a so-called budget reconciliation bill, the Senate and House first need to agree on a more general budget resolution. This is what the House passed last week.