Republicans play dumb on Medicaid cuts

The GOP is engaged in bad-community-theater levels of disingenuousness.

Despite their constant reassurances to the contrary, Republicans have officially begun the process of cutting Medicaid and SNAP benefits to offset the cost of tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. And right on cue, Republicans are playing dumb:

“This resolution just says the Ag Committee has to cut more than $200 billion... Nowhere in this resolution does it say what the cuts are.” He’s technically right— but he’s also playing dumb. The resolution, which passed the House with only Republican support by a vote of 217-215, doesn’t explicitly call for cuts to programs. What is does do is instruct certain committees to cut the following amounts:

The Energy & Commerce will cut at least $880 billion over 10 years, which is where Medicaid is funded.

The Agriculture Committee will cut at least $230 billion, which is where Food Stamps are funded.

To be clear, if you’re going to cut $880 billion from Energy & Commerce, the only mathematical way to do that is by cutting Medicaid. Likewise, if you’re going to cut $230 billion from Agriculture, the only way that’s achieved is by cutting SNAP. So when Republicans slyly suggest that those popular programs aren’t expressly named in the resolution, they’re banking on Americans being too stupid to realize that while the resolution itself doesn’t call for those cuts, it does call for cuts to the committees that fund those programs. I’m not sure which is worse: the fact that Republicans are moving to gut the last lifeline for 85 million Americans who rely on Medicaid and 43 million Americans who rely on Food Stamps or the fact that they’re lying about doing it.

And perhaps just as shameful, all of this is intended to offset spending for - surprise, surprise - a tax cut for the ultrawealthy. These cuts to Medicaid, Food stamps, student loans, all of which impacts regular Americans, will occur in order to be able to make possible a $4.5 trillion in tax cuts that will overwhelmingly benefit the ultrarich. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

The top 1% will see an average $70,000 decrease in their tax burden. Meanwhile, a middle class earner will see an average $1,000 decrease in their tax burden. And a working class American will see their tax burden decrease by a few hundred bucks. Admittedly, I’m no math guy, but it doesn’t strike me as fair or just that the top 1% will see a decrease in their tax burden 70x what the average American will see— and even less fair and just that that disparity will exist to the exclusion of critical programs like Medicaid and Food Stamps.

And the most incredible part of all: this is being done in the name of fiscal responsibility and reigning in our out-of-control spending. And yet far from reducing the deficit, this budget would add trillions to it. (This is the part where you put on your shocked face.)

And don’t take my word for it, take that of Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz, who tweeted:

She’s right. She also voted for it anyway. Surprised? Me neither.

But mark my words– Republicans have made a grave mistake. I’m old enough to remember what happened the last time the GOP stripped healthcare away from Americans in order to offset tax cuts for billionaires. In 2018, they sought to repeal the Affordable Care Act. And in the very next election cycle, they lost the House by the largest margin in modern American history, allowing Democrats to flip a staggering 41 seats. That’s the sleeping giant they’ve just awoken.

So my advice to Americans: do not forget this moment. Republicans just poked the hornets’ nest that is Americans’ healthcare. They messed with the last lifeline for over a hundred million Americans. They are hoping that we aren’t paying attention. They’re going to learn the hard way that we are.