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Cracks in MAGA? A dozen GOP Reps worried about re-election beg Speaker Johnson not to cut Medicaid [1]
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Date: 2025-04-17
Politics and re-election.
Republican incumbents have a poor record of doing the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do. Occasionally, GOP Representatives will do the right thing because it benefits them. And by benefit, I mean it increases their chances of re-election.
This cynical career protectionism has led 12 House Republicans to send a letter to their leaders —Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and Energy & Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie — imploring those heartless bastards not to slash Medicaid.
The letter
The letter's authors get straight to the point. They start by referencing Republican politicians' primary concern: staying in power.
As Members of Congress who helped to deliver a Republican Majority, many of us representing districts with high rates of constituents who depend on Medicaid, we would like to reiterate our strong support for this program that ensures our constituents have reliable healthcare. Balancing the federal budget must not come at the expense of those who depend on these benefits for their health and economic security.
There are plenty of Republican incumbents in ruby-red districts who have large numbers of constituents who rely on federal programs for healthcare. But you will not find them speaking up in defense of their constituents. Why? Because they aren't afraid of losing their cushy and lucrative gig to a Democrat. Their existential career fear is that pissing off the Bozo in the Oval will invite Trump-backed primary opponents.
These expedient trough-divers believe that to help others, you must first help yourself — even if you never get around to helping others.
Next, the authors assure leadership that they agree with the party's goal to slash Medicaid. They just don't want the slashing in their district to occur on their watch.
We acknowledge that we must reform Medicaid so that it is a strong and long-lasting program for years to come. Efficiency and transparency must be prioritized for program beneficiaries, hospitals, and states. We support targeted reforms to improve program integrity, reduce improper payments, and modernize delivery systems to fix flaws in the program that divert resources away from children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and pregnant women – those who the program was intended to help. However, we cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.
When they talk about "vulnerable populations," they mean Republican Reps in toss-up seats. When they say "targeted reforms," they mean, 'Please don't take a flamethrower to the whole enterprise. If you need to make a cut, make it small.' They already know that despite the Rick Scotts of the world making a killing with false billing *, Medicaid as a whole does not have anywhere the fat and fraud in it Republicans would have their base believe. Cuts will necessarily mean people are harmed.
The authors then point out that Medicaid is also a jobs program. And when jobs go away, a lot of bad things happen to their white (Republican) voters — which they highlight by mentioning "rural areas." (Sub-text. 'We aren't trying to bail out inner-city (aka ethnic) liberals')
Cuts to Medicaid also threaten the viability of hospitals, nursing homes, and safety-net providers nationwide. Many hospitals—particularly in rural and underserved areas—rely heavily on Medicaid funding, with some receiving over half their revenue from the program alone. Providers in these areas are especially at risk of closure, with many unable to recover. When hospitals close, it affects all constituents, regardless of healthcare coverage.
They continue with another plea to support the neediest. This section must be for their campaign ads because they know that GOP leadership has zero interest in "our nation's most vulnerable populations," including "new mothers" — who they have to mention because of motherhood's proximity to apple pie as an American icon. The only difference is that GOP leadership might actually like apple pie. They also drag in the code word "rural" again.
To strengthen Medicaid, we urge you to prioritize care for our nation's most vulnerable populations. Our constituents are asking for changes to the healthcare system that will strengthen the healthcare workforce, offer low-income, working-class families expanded opportunities to save for medical expenses, support rural and underserved communities, and help new mothers.
They finish by making overt what had been tacit. The desperate dozen make it clear that Medicaid cuts will lose the GOP its House majority. And more importantly — and I will grant you I am putting words in their mouths, but I think it is fair — the loss of the majority will occur because the letter's signatories know they will lose their jobs if Johnson and his craven gang keep blindly doing the Mar-a-Lago moron's bidding.
We are committed to working with you to preserve Medicaid and identify responsible savings through deregulation, streamlining federal programs, and cutting administrative red tape. Communities like ours won us the majority, and we have a responsibility to deliver on the promises we made.
They shouldn't hold their breath
I wish them luck. Getting conservatives in positions of power to give a damn about other people is a Sisyphean task. It is hard to recollect it ever happening — unless the 'other people' were billionaire donors.
But let them keep trying. There is a slim chance they will make a difference. If they don't, we can enjoy watching besuited and tassel-loafered conservatives pissing into the wind.
*When Scott was CEO of Columbia/HCA, the company committed the largest Medicare fraud in US history and had to pay a $1.6 billion fine. Granted, it was Medicare, not Medicaid — but close enough.
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/4/17/2317054/-Cracks-in-MAGA-A-dozen-GOP-Reps-worried-about-re-election-beg-Speaker-Johnson-not-to-cut-Medicaid?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web
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