President Donald Trump endorsed a House Republican budget plan that could cut billions from Medicaid, just hours after pledging that it would not be touched in previous weeks. Around 80 million Americans’ healthcare could be cut if the program is reduced and singled out by Congress.
“He does not understand the struggle of everyday working class Americans to understand the majority of his constituents,” said Kevin Jones, a first-year political science major.
Medicaid was signed into law in 1965 alongside Medicare, whose users are primarily low-income and disabled Americans who rely on the public health insurance program for their needs.
“I can kind of understand why they’d want to make cuts to programs like Medicaid, because that spending is a large portion of the yearly budget," said Phaedra Hyche, a third-year political science major, "but I also don’t think it’s going towards the right things, because he’ll reallocate the money to places it doesn’t need to go,”
Congressional leaders are considering significant reductions to federal spending to help pay for Trump’s top priorities such as: tax, energy, and the border, adding up to $2.3 trillion in potential cuts to Medicaid in the coming years.
“Trump endorsing the bill will make it more likely to pass, especially because Congress right now is Republican leaning,” said Hyche.
This past Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Republican members of Congress sent a GOP budget blueprint to passage. This includes $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts despite opposition from both parties, a passage that is crucial to bringing significant cuts to federal programs and services like Medicaid.
The next step includes weeks of committee hearings to draft the details and send the House version to the Senate.
“It’s just to target working class people,” said Jones.
Backlash ensued as Americans reckon with what the cuts could mean for their livelihood and future healthcare. Without money funneling into the various services Americans may use, many facilities will see closures.
“Medicaid provides a great deal of funding for hospitals, long-term care facilities, nursing homes and services for children with special needs,” per ABC News.
Some students fear what’s to come with the new administration's handling of their future and the availability of healthcare services.
“I’m worried about a lot of things because Trump is president, but I hope that people remember to remain positive despite how terrible things seem,” said Hyche.
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