Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri on Monday urged his Republican colleagues to reject significant cuts to Medicaid as part of a legislative agenda associated with President Trump, which includes a plan to reduce taxes by over $4 trillion.
In an opinion piece published in a national newspaper, Mr. Hawley stated that cutting funding for Medicaid, a program that provides health insurance to more than 70 million low-income Americans, including 1 million in Missouri, would be “morally wrong” and “politically suicidal.”
Mr. Hawley emphasized that Republican voters support social insurance programs and depend on them. His remarks followed the release of a House Republican plan that proposes an estimated $715 billion reduction in funding for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, which could leave 8.6 million people without insurance. However, the proposal does not include the more severe cuts that some fiscal conservatives had sought.
The Senator's opposition to these cuts aligns with President Trump's previous promises not to alter the Medicaid program. Mr. Hawley has positioned himself as a distinct populist voice within the Senate, often diverging from party lines by supporting policies such as capping insulin costs at $25 per month and voting in favor of limiting bank overdraft fees.
He has criticized Republican leaders for prioritizing the interests of wealthy Americans and corporations over the working-class voters who contributed to Trump's election. Unlike many in his party, Mr. Hawley has expressed skepticism about extending corporate tax cuts from Trump's first term, questioning their effectiveness in bringing back manufacturing jobs or improving treatment for workers.
In conclusion, Mr. Hawley stated, "If Republicans want to be a working-class party — if we want to be a majority party — we must ignore calls to cut Medicaid and start delivering on America’s promise for America’s working people."