WASHINGTON — Republicans in the U.S. House have rolled out a sweeping budget package with $880 billion in cuts — most of it slashing Medicaid — to pay for an extension of Trump’s 2017 tax breaks. The move has ignited fierce backlash from public health advocates, educators, and parents nationwide.
While GOP leaders claim the legislation targets “waste, fraud and abuse,” Democrats warn it could leave millions uninsured. A preliminary analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that 8.6 million people would lose health coverage over the next decade if the bill passes.
Organizations like the National Parents Union are calling the proposed budget a direct attack on the survival and dignity of America’s most vulnerable families.
“Make no mistake: these cuts will not just lead to sick and hungry children, but combined with fewer programs and services at school and in public health, children will die,” said Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, in a statement Tuesday. “These are not hard choices. These are the wrong choices.”
What’s in the GOP bill?
House Republicans unveiled the health and energy package Sunday, calling it the “cost-saving centerpiece” of President Donald Trump’s tax overhaul revival. At least $715 billion of the proposed savings would come directly from Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions.
Among the most severe Medicaid cut proposals:
- New work requirements for Medicaid recipients: 80 hours per month of work, education, or community service for adults without dependents.
- Twice-yearly eligibility checks, requiring low-income families to verify income more often.
- Out-of-pocket fees of up to $35 per visit for Medicaid recipients above 100% of the federal poverty line — though exemptions would apply for emergency, prenatal, pediatric, and primary care.
- Elimination of pandemic-era incentives to expand Medicaid in states.
- Income and property restrictions, including barring applicants with homes worth over $1 million.
- Funding cuts to states that allow undocumented immigrants to access Medicaid.
- Stricter Affordable Care Act rules requiring proof of lawful immigration status to qualify.
Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, defended the cuts.
“Savings like these allow us to use this bill to renew the Trump tax cuts and keep Republicans’ promise to hardworking middle-class families,” he said.
But Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), the top Democrat on the panel, called it a cruel attempt to revive a failed repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
“In no uncertain terms, millions of Americans will lose their health care coverage,” Pallone said. “Hospitals will close, seniors will not be able to access the care they need, and premiums will rise for millions of people if this bill passes.”
“A national disgrace,” parents say about proposed Medicaid cuts
The National Parents Union, which represents low-income and working-class families across the country, issued a blistering response to the legislation. In a public statement, the organization condemned the bill as anti-family and driven by politics—not public interest.
“Stripping away basic nutrition, healthcare, and educational support for political reasons is a national disgrace,” Rodrigues said. “What kind of nation targets babies and children to score political points? What kind of leadership looks at a hungry child and says, ‘tough luck’? We demand a government that puts the American people before profit, children before corporations, and our next generation before billionaire tax breaks.”
According to Medicaid.gov, the program currently provides health care for nearly 37 million children in the U.S. and acts as a crucial funding source for school-based services. SNAP, another program facing Republican cuts, is the primary source of food for 1 in 5 American children.
Rodrigues warned that slashing both would devastate children in and out of the classroom — particularly those already struggling amid inflation and high costs of living.
“Investments in healthcare, food security, and education are not negotiable – they are foundational to America’s future.”
Politics and pushback
The legislation faces hurdles even within the Republican Party. A growing number of GOP lawmakers — including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) — have expressed opposition to cutting Medicaid.
Cutting health care to fund tax breaks would be “morally wrong and politically suicidal,” Hawley warned in an op-ed Monday.
Still, Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing for a floor vote before Memorial Day. If passed, the plan would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire this year.
As the debate escalates, Democrats and advocacy groups are demanding that Congress reject the cuts — and focus instead on protecting access to health care, food, and public education for working families.
To combat Republicans. Recruit a few “tokens “: Wealthy, “soccer moms”. “Moderately conservative and economically “successful “ businessman. The Black Congressional Caucus can exploit the matter as needed.