Good News Bad News: Republicans Aim To Cut Medicaid & SNAP/Trump Ordered To Pay Millions By Federal Judge
By: Desmond Price
One of the unfortunate limitations of Substack, is it feels like you can really only send out one post a day (and sometimes even that is too much). However, as all of you know, this news cycle is generating multiple stories a day.
It’s hard to know WHICH stories to choose for these posts. So today I’ve decided to try to pack two stories in here, instead of just one.
Let’s start with the bad story first ⬇️
Republicans in the House pass bill that looks to cut $880 Billion from Medicaid & $230 Billion from SNAP
Then, we’ll discuss the story that *slightly* restored a little faith in our justice system ⬇️
A federal judge is ordering the Trump administration to pay millions of dollars to multiple nonprofit groups after determining the administration violated orders
Republicans in the House pass bill that looks to cut $880 Billion from Medicaid & $230 Billion from SNAP
From the start I want to make my opinion very clear…
I think everything about this plan is completely barbaric. That’s the best word I can use to describe what’s happening here.
The Republican House budget resolution currently under consideration instructs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to cut at least $880 billion in costs through 2034. Based on previous proposals from House Budget Committee Republican leadership, these cuts are widely anticipated to come from the Medicaid program.
Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) cover essential, lifesaving health care for nearly 1 in 4 Americans—including low-income individuals and families; pregnant women; seniors; and people with disabilities. For the nearly 80 million people* covered by Medicaid or CHIP, those programs mean being able to see a doctor when they are sick; obtain the medication that they need; or afford home-based care or nursing home services near the end of life.
All states rely on federal matching funds to finance their state Medicaid and CHIP programs.
While it is still unclear exactly how the Energy and Commerce Committee would achieve $880 billion in Medicaid cuts, proposals previously floated have included adding burdensome work requirements to the program or shrinking the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) that provides states with significant support to help finance their Medicaid programs.
An analysis by the Urban Institute estimates that a reduction in the FMAP rate for just those Medicaid enrollees eligible under the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion option would lead to 15.9 million people losing Medicaid and CHIP coverage in 2026 if those states cannot make up the shortfall and drop their expansion, as a result.
Source - The Center For American Progress
It is my firm belief, and some of you may have heard me say this before, that I believe the Republicans only care about making wealthy people in this country, more wealthy.
To that end, I believe it has been their goal for decades to privatize all healthcare in this country. How that effects the country at large is irrelevant to them, their only goal is to further enrich their donor base.
That’s the whole game. Every move ties back into that motivation.
Early I shared a personal story regarding Medicaid, through a note here on Substack ⬇️
To a degree, I feel like a lot of us have some connection to this program, if it’s not directly, it’s through a friend, relative or someone in your life who has needed the services of Medicaid at some point.
Do you know someone who has needed Medicaid services before? I’d love to hear that story if you’d be willing to share. Please comment below
I think it’s important to share these stories, so moments like this feel less abstract. Like they’re happening to faceless, nameless people in some corner of the country; we should highlight the stories of people we know & talk about how important these programs actually are.
Medicaid saves lives everyday.
We constantly say the phrase that “healthcare is a human right”, but what we’re fundamentally saying is — a society cannot function if its people cannot function.
It’s people cannot function if they do not have the ability to take care of themselves.
Without healthcare, some people in society cannot take care of themselves.
Therefore, it’s incumbent on our society to provide the means for people to function.
Healthcare must be provided to all. There should be no exceptions.
While I do not know if Medicaid, SNAP, Social Security, or other vital programs will be cut by this Trump regime, I do know that we will constantly do everything that we can to prevent them from harming our communities.
Now let’s transition to something a little more positive. A story about the Trump regime FINALLY facing some opposition from within our government.
Federal Judge Orders Trump To Pay Millions
First let’s discuss the details of this story & I’ll give my opinion on the other side
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