05.22.2025 / Statement

Families USA Statement on House Republicans Passing Biggest Cut to Medicaid in History

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Anthony Wright, executive director of Families USA, today released the following statement after House Republicans narrowly passed their budget reconciliation bill that would slash funding for Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), force around 15 million Americans off of health coverage, and raise health costs for millions more, all in order to fund further tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations.

“The House Republicans rushed through their budget bill overnight, but that vote and this package will only get more toxic as Americans figure out how much harm it does to our health coverage, our health care, and our health costs. No one campaigned on the biggest reduction of health coverage in history, nor on massive Medicaid cuts, nor on cuts to the ACA or Medicare, nor on higher health premiums and co-payments — but that’s what House Republicans voted for in this budget.

“They admit this is one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in a generation, but they voted without getting a full analysis of the proposal or a single hearing on the impacts of the biggest cut to Medicaid ever. Even without a full accounting yet, we know enough to know that the consequences will be devastating, from millions more uninsured, to increased premiums and co-pays and more bureaucratic barriers to get on and stay on coverage in both public and private coverage, to reduced benefits and scaled back services resulting from cuts to the hospitals, clinics and other providers on which we all rely. The Senate has millions of reasons to reject this approach to a budget bill.

“The House Republicans jammed through a vote on this bill just 10 days after the text was released, and less than 10 hours after significant changes were made. Instead of listening to the Americans clogging their phone lines and townhalls, House Republicans today took a bad bill and made it even worse, putting in place more paperwork that will kick people off coverage more quickly, and spiking premiums for those who buy private coverage individually through the marketplaces. They tried to hide their work with backroom deals and middle-of-the-night hearing markups, but voters won’t be able to miss the giant wrecking ball headed at the health care system that we all need and use every day, regardless of the source of our coverage, where we live, or who we voted for. Voters will notice if they lose their coverage or if their local hospitals or clinic has to scale back service or even close. It will be impossible to hide the spiking premiums and increased out-of-pocket costs that Americans will face, and the millions of people that will be forced off coverage as bureaucratic burdens take effect and states are forced to make major cuts — a stark contrast to the huge tax windfall that the wealthiest Americans will get to enjoy.

“This isn’t a political game — this is literally life and death for low-income working families, people with disabilities, pregnant women and their babies, children, veterans, and people who rely on rural hospitals across the country — all of whom will pay the price of this disastrous bill for generations, while the billionaires reap the benefits.

“We heard promise after promise from President Trump and Congressional Republicans that they wouldn’t touch Medicaid or its benefits, but overnight they abandoned not just their word but their constituents who needed them, who sent them to Washington to lower costs. Instead of working to lower costs, House Republicans voted to spike their costs and devastate the health care system on which we all rely. Instead of working to address affordability in health care or across our economy, House Republicans just voted to shred the social safety net of health care and food assistance that helps millions of families stay on their feet and in their homes, just to pay for a massive tax giveaway to the wealthiest Americans, billionaires and big corporations. This fight for the future or our health care is not over, but health, consumer and community advocates and the millions of Americans we represent will remember this vote. We will keep fighting to defeat these proposals, but also work with Senators to find other solutions for savings and get back to the actual affordability agenda that people wanted when voting last year.”