House Republicans advance sweeping cuts, Medicaid reform after key GOP senator warned of Trump veto

House Republicans passed Medicaid reform and a $900 billion spending cut out of committee Wednesday after a marathon multi-day session marking up that portion of President Trump’s “big, beautiful” bill — despite a key senator warning the commander in chief would veto it.The House Energy and Commerce Committee greenlit the measure in a party-line, 30-24, vote after fielding 246 amendments across 26 hours of deliberation.Now the package heads to the House Budget Committee for a scheduled Friday markup, meant to knit together other components of Trump’s marquee legislative package.The Energy and Commerce Committee proposal included a mandated 80-hour-per-month work requirement for able-bodied adults ages 19 to 64 to receive Medicaid, the federal assistance program for poor people.Under the plan, beneficiaries with incomes over the federal poverty line ($15,650) have to pay up to $35 per medical service and states would be barred from paying providers more than Medicare, which could impact rural hospitals.The sweeping reform to the 60-year-old program has raised alarm among some Senate Republicans, including Sen.Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).“This bill is not going to become law in its current form, not least because President Trump won’t sign it,” Hawley told CNN Wednesday ahead of the committee vote.“I’ve talked to him about this personally, multiple times.

He has been crystal clear in public, too — no, Medicaid benefit cuts, we need to get a tax cut to working people, not raise their taxes when it comes to health care, not take away their health care benefits.”The mammoth bill is intended to be Trump’s signature legislative achievement of the year and includes an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime pay, beefed up border security spending, and increased defense spending.Hawley said he could support work requirements but told CNN the $35 charge was a red line for him.“I don’t like the idea of decreas...