Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa., told Newsmax on Thursday that Republicans “won’t touch” Medicaid or Medicare in the budget bill that House and Senate leaders are currently negotiating.
On Tuesday, the House passed a wide-ranging budget bill that aims to cut spending by at least $1.5 trillion while increasing funds for the border and defense, as well as authorizing a $4 trillion debt limit increase. Some Senate Republicans have expressed concerns about the bill’s provision ordering the Energy and Commerce Committee to eliminate $880 billion in spending, which they say would likely involve cuts to Medicaid or Medicare.
“I’m not going to vote for Medicaid cuts,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said. “It’ll need to be changed. I know there’s a lot of people on our side who want a bunch of changes.”
Smucker, who sits on the House Budget Committee, told “Wake Up America” he pushed back on concerns about cuts to benefits, claiming that Democrats are spreading “lies” and “falsehoods” about the legislation.
He continued, “We live in a country where we are proud that there's a safety net for people who really need help, but we want to ensure those taxpayer dollars are really going to those who need it, to those who have paid into the system, who are relying on Medicaid because they need it, who are relying on Medicare.”
Smucker vowed, “This bill won't touch any of that. As the president has said, we're going to continue to drive out more efficiency, more effective government to the American people.”
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