By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week, the U.S. House narrowly passed a multi-trillion-dollar Republican budget framework that sets the groundwork for sweeping tax cuts and other components of President Trump’s legislative agenda.
On Thursday- in one of his largest legislative victories yet- House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) muscled the necessary support to pass a budget framework for President Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill.”
Democrats continue to blast the plan, saying Republicans will need to cut key programs, like Medicaid, to pay for Trump’s tax cuts and other policies.
“House Republicans plowed ahead on a morally and financially bankrupt plan to gut Medicaid while cutting taxes for billionaires,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) last week.
Republicans argue the goal is fiscal discipline and rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse — not harming vulnerable populations.
“No one has talked about cutting one benefit in Medicaid. What we’ve talked about is returning work requirements, so you don’t have able-bodied young men on a program that’s designed for single mothers and the elderly and disabled,” said Speaker Johnson on April 10.
The budget framework paves the way for Republican lawmakers to now come up with big savings, which could include hundreds of billions in Medicaid.
“Leading experts have said that fraud, waste, and abuse doesn’t reach anywhere near the $800 billion mark,” said Jason Resendez, President of the National Alliance for Caregiving.
Resendez worries the scale of the potential cuts would go beyond fiscal discipline.
“We would certainly see the realities of family caregiving today change. It would mean less services for families, like respite care. It would mean harder to find direct care assistance in communities and in states,” said Resendez. “Less support in your community, less support in your home. And that could result in more folks being institutionalized because there’s a lack of those available services that make home and community living possible.”
“We’re already experiencing a drastic direct care workforce shortage,” Resendez added. “And so additional cuts to the Medicaid program would make that worse.”
Resendez emphasized that Medicaid is a critical support system for millions of Americans, including caregivers.
“Medicaid isn’t just a program. It’s the foundation that enables millions of Americans to care for loved ones with serious illnesses, disabilities, or aging needs in the dignity of their own homes and communities rather than institutions,” said Resendez.
Resendez says Medicaid is a lifeline for the five million Americans with chronic conditions, disabilities, or aging-related needs who rely on it for home care services. He argues that investing in it isn’t just compassionate — it’s cost-effective.
“Medicaid support for family caregivers represents one of our most cost-effective health care investments,” said Resendez. “Home-based care costs two to three times less than institutional care. If we want to save money, the smart thing to do is to invest in family caregivers, invest in home and community-based supports provided by Medicaid.”
