Democrats intend to force Republicans in the Senate to testify on Medicaid during Thursday evening’s “Vote-a-Rama” as potential cuts to the program become a source of contention in budget discussions, particularly among Republicans in states that rely on it.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., who recently won re-election in a state that also voted for President Donald Trump, is introducing several amendments to the Senate GOP’s budget resolution, all of which aim to preserve Medicaid, according to her office, which exclusively shared with Fox News Digital.
Several of her amendments will protect Medicaid access and funding for seniors, children, drug addicts, rural Americans, and pregnant women.
“Americans want us to reduce the cost of their health care, not take it away from new mothers, seniors in long-term care, and low-income children,” Baldwin told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.
“Republicans have claimed they would protect Medicaid – despite their budget telling us otherwise – but tonight, they will have the chance to put their money where their mouth is: Will they prevent Medicaid from being cut, or will they put it on the chopping block to fund their billionaire tax break?”
Her amendments are expected to receive votes after those proposed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Democrats. According to a Senate Democratic source, the first amendment of the evening will be aimed at preventing Republicans from renewing the tax cuts included in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which is a top priority for Trump.
Such cuts could be unpopular in Republican states with significant Medicaid coverage, such as Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, and West Virginia, all of which had more than 25% of their populations covered by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) last year, according to KFF.
Senate Republicans passed a procedural vote on their budget last week, triggering a 50-hour debate clock that will expire on Thursday evening. Then, a “Vote-a-Rama,” or voting marathon, will begin.
