What They Are Saying: Protecting Millions of Americans & Their Medicaid Benefits

A round-up of the latest statements from the Trump Administration, Congressional leaders and members, and other key stakeholders on the need to protect patients from cuts to their Medicaid coverage.

House of Representatives:

Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), 2/25/25: “I’ve heard from countless constituents who tell me the only way they can afford health care is through programs like Medicaid. And I will not support a final reconciliation bill that risks leaving them behind.”
Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), 2/23/25: “My district went from a Biden 13 to a Trump 5,” he said, citing the winning margins in 2020 and 2024. Valadao’s district has among the highest levels of Medicaid recipients in the nation. “There’s no way to assume we didn’t win a bunch of Medicaid voters.”
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), 2/23/25: “There’s no doubt that there’s waste, fraud and abuse in every program in the government, including Medicaid — but at what point do you stop cutting into the fat and start cutting into the bone? You can’t pull the rug out from millions of people.”
Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), 2/21/25: In Valadao’s San Joaquin Valley district in central California, 38.5% of adults under the age of 65 use Medicaid or other forms of means-tested public coverage as their sole form of health care. That makes Valadao the member of Congress who represents the second-highest number of Medicaid recipients in the entire country, only behind Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torre
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), 2/21/25: Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon, perennially of the most politically vulnerable House Republicans, also told us he needs better assurances there won’t be major Medicaid cuts in the final bill. Here’s more: “I want to get this done, but $880 billion out of E&C — it sounds like that would be deep cuts to Medicaid. And so I’ve asked the question, how can you cut $880 billion without significantly cutting Medicaid? And I want the leadership to show me, or in this case the chairman.”
Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), 2/20/25: “There’s at least double digits of people who are severely concerned,” Valadao told the Hill. “And I think as people start to understand the specifics of how it’s going to affect their districts, I imagine that number grows.”… Valadao clearly felt political pain after his vote for the House GOP legislation, even if it never became law. “I’ve had people come to my office and say: ‘Did you take away my health care with this vote?’” he told POLITICO in 2017. Seventeen months later, he lost his seat.
Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), 2/19/25: “The House Budget Resolution proposed $880 billion in cuts to programs under the jurisdiction of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, with Medicaid expected to bear the brunt of these reductions. Nearly 30% of Medicaid enrollees are Hispanic Americans, and for many families across the country, Medicaid is their only access to healthcare. Slashing Medicaid would have serious consequences, particularly in rural and predominantly Hispanic communities where hospitals and nursing homes are already struggling to keep their doors open. Moreover, the possibility of cutting Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) funding threatens hospitals that serve low-income and uninsured patients.”
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), 2/19/25: “My ask of leadership is, show me how you can cut $880 billion in [Energy and Commerce Committee] without it having significant cuts to Medicaid And I’m not interested in voting for something that’s going to lead to big cuts in [the committee] when even the president says he’s opposed to it.”
Reps. Tony Gonzales (R-TZ), Monica De La Cruz (R-TX), David Valadao (R-CA.), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) Rob Bresnahan (R-PA), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), along with Dels. James Moylan of Guam and Kimberlyn King-Hinds of Northern Mariana Islands, 2/19/25: “The House Budget Resolution proposed $800 billion in cuts to programs under the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, with Medicaid expected to bear the brunt of these reductions. Nearly 30% of Medicaid enrollees are Hispanic Americans, and for many families across the country, Medicaid is their only access to healthcare. Slashing Medicaid would have serious consequences, particularly in rural and predominantly Hispanic communities where hospitals and nursing homes are already struggling to keep their doors open. Moreover, the possibility of cutting Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) funding threatens hospitals that serve low-income and uninsured patients.”
Representative David Valadao (R-CA), 2/19/25: “Until I know exactly what’s going to be in, or what this is going to look like, or at least have some pretty good idea, I’m really concerned with this… But it sounds like the president and myself and others are on the same page: We don’t want to touch Medicaid. We want to make sure that we’re all on the same page. If he’s on the same page as me, that makes me feel a little bit better about it.”
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), 2/19/25: “I still have my concerns. I appreciate the president’s comments on Hannity last night reaffirming his commitment to not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but I still need some clarity from my colleagues in the House on how we’re going to get to the numbers mandated in the resolution without cutting Medicaid in a way that impacts beneficiaries or my hospitals.”
Rep. David Valado (R-CA), 2/19/25: “[Will] Talk to leadership about making sure that we’re sticking to the president’s word, my word and others, that Medicaid was going to be left, at least for those who need it most, still be there and not affect those folks.”

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), 2/16/25: “It’s laudable to want to cut out fraud, waste and abuse, to cut out fat, eliminate inefficiencies and redundancies in the system,” Fitzpatrick recalled telling his colleagues behind closed doors. “But we still need to make sure that we maintain a social safety net for the people that need it. That’s becoming of American values.” About 14.5% of Fitzpatrick’s constituents are on Medicaid
Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA), 2/14/25: “I ran for Congress under a promise of always doing what is best for the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Bresnahan in a statement Friday. “If a bill is put in front of me that guts the benefits my neighbors rely on, I will not vote for it. Pennsylvania’s Eighth District chose me to advocate for them in Congress. These benefits are promises that were made to the people of NEPA and where I come from, people keep their word.”
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), 2/10/25: “I’ll be very blunt — Medicaid isn’t just something for people who don’t want to work or on welfare,” Van Drew said. “Seventy-million people in this country get their health care through Medicaid now, because we increased the limits.”
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), 2/6/25: “We’re not talking about in any way reducing benefits,” Johnson said recently as he discussed potential changes to Medicaid, along with Medicare and Social Security.
*Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), 1/28/25: “They’re going to have to juxtapose massive tax cuts for wealthy people, while simultaneously cutting an initiative that 71 million Americans benefit from,” Neal said of Republicans. “I’m assuming that the [Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee] already has
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Punchbowl Midday, 1/7/25: Johnson was asked if Republicans plan cuts to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. The speaker said, “No.” “The president has made it very clear, Social Security and Medicare have to be preserved,” Johnson said. “And no one is coming in with the intention of cutting benefits in any way or anything. But we have to look at all spending and look at it very literally while maintaining those commitments. The Republican Party is not going to cut benefits.”
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), 4/24/24: “As I’ve said from day one in Congress, I’m committed to ensuring access to Medicaid to those who need it. That’s why I’m leading an effort with @RepMGP to make sure people with disabilities over 65 can continue to work while maintaining Medicaid benefits.”

Senate:

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), 2/26/25: “I feel like we are going back to the days of the ACA when I was trying to explain to colleagues how Alaska was so disproportionately impacted,” Murkowski, who helped kill ACA repeal, says when asked about cuts to Medicaid.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), 2/26/25: Asked about Medicaid cuts, Tillis pointed to his experience in the state legislature where he contended they made cuts to programs in an “orderly fashion.” “If you just do it cold turkey, there’s going to be a lot of unintended consequences that our members need to think through, whether it’s a red state or blue state,” Tillis said.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), 2/26/25: “I have shared with colleagues over here that our assessment of it is that the impact, once again, to Alaska, if we see the kinds of cuts that are being floated over on the house right now, could be devastating to Alaska.”
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), 2/22/25: “Large cuts to Medicaid would hurt a lot of people in my state — and we voted overwhelmingly for President Trump,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said in an interview with HuffPost this week.
Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV), 2/22/25: “Do I really believe that President Trump is going to do something that is really detrimental to millions of seniors? I think I don’t believe it. I don’t believe that’ll happen at all,” he said.
Sen. Susan Collines (R-ME), 2/21/25: Sen. Collins backed a Democratic amendment “prohibiting tax cuts for wealthy Americans if any Medicaid funding is cut,”
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), 2/20/25: “I’m from a state that is heavily reliant on Medicaid. And, you know, I always look at it with a more focused eye,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. She said if the House passes its budget and sends it to the Senate, then “I think we’ll change it.”
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), 2/20/25: Sen. Hawley backed a Democratic amendment that would prohibit tax cuts for wealthy Americans if any Medicaid funding is cut.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), 2/19/25: “You’ve got to look at if it is worth the political struggle to do it,” Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said in an interview. “Entitlements are difficult to deal with.”
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), 2/18/25: “I would not do severe cuts to Medicaid…I don’t like the idea of massive Medicaid cuts. We should have no Medicare cuts of any kind,” the senator added.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), 1/21/25: Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a key moderate vote who is not up for reelection this cycle, expressed the most concern about cuts. “I come from a state where Medicaid expansion has been really, really very key, so if it’s going to be part of reconciliation, [it’s something] I would be looking very critically at,” she said.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), 6/27/17: “I came to Washington to make the lives of West Virginians better. Throughout this debate, I have said that I will only support a bill that provides access to affordable health care coverage for West Virginians, including those on Medicaid and those struggling with drug addiction.”

Trump administration:

President Donald Trump, 2/26/25: “It won’t be read my lips anymore, we aren’t going to touch it.”
President Donald Trump, 2/18/25: But, look, Social Security won’t be touched — other than if there’s fraud or something — we’re going to find it; it’s going to be strengthened — but won’t be touched. Medicare, Medicaid, none of that stuff is going to be touched.”
Dr. Oz, 2/4/25: “We have to take care of the most vulnerable among us. It’s a social calling for all of us…that funding freeze was not designed to affect Medicaid at all”
President Donald Trump, 1/31/25: Trump said we’ll “love and cherish” Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, the last of which insures more than 70 million Americans. “We’re not going to do anything with that…” Trump said. “The people won’t be affected. It will only be more effective and better.”

State leaders:

Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, 2/26/25: “Nevada has demonstrated that federal investment in the state’s Medicaid program has improved both health outcomes and productivity, yet challenges remain,” Lombardo wrote. “By leveraging federal funding the state has expanded access to school health services, lowered the uninsured rate, and made significant progress in enhancing behavioral health care for both children and adults.”

Other voices:

Kush Desai, 2/19/25: “The Trump administration is committed to protecting Medicare and Medicaid while slashing the waste, fraud, and abuse within those programs — reforms that will increase efficiency and improve care for beneficiaries.”
U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Conference of State Legislatures, etc., 2/19/25: “Medicaid accounts for over half of all federal funds to states and is the largest source of federal funding for state budgets, making it essential to states’ ability to design and administer healthcare programs that meet the unique needs of their populations. Preserving state flexibility and preventing significant funding cuts are both critical to ensuring Medicaid can be tailored to local priorities, as such cuts would severely limit this ability, forcing states to reduce services, restrict eligibility, or shift costs to local governments. These reductions would jeopardize access to affordable healthcare and long-term services and place an unsustainable financial burden on states and counties, which often serve as payers of last resort.”
Steve Bannon, 2/14/25: “Medicaid, you gotta be careful,” Bannon said on his Thursday podcast. “Because a lot of MAGAs are on Medicaid, I’m telling you. If you don’t think so, you are dead wrong.”
Patrick T. Brown, 2/13/25: “[Traditional GOP budget hawks see the current moment] as an excuse to do what they wanted to do all along, which is slash social security spending and, ideally, return to the days before the Affordable Care Act.” “You can say President Trump was elected on a mandate. But the mandate was not, ‘Let’s slash health care from working-class Americans.’”