Wyden Statement on CBO Analysis of the Long-Term Impact of Trumpcare’s Medicaid Cuts

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released a statement following the release of an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office on the Senate Republican health care bill’s long term impact on Medicaid:

“This analysis makes clear that the massive cuts to Medicaid are only going to get worse,” Wyden said. “These cuts will leave states with unfathomable ‘choices’ like whether sick children get essential treatment or pregnant women get pre-natal care or older Americans can receive adequate nursing home care. If the consequences of the Senate Republican plan were not already clear enough, this shows cutting Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy is a heartless scheme that no elected representative of the people should support.”

Among other findings, CBO has determined that in 2036, Medicaid spending under Trumpcare will be 35% less than under current law. That will place states in a budgetary vise, pushing them to choose between cutting Medicaid, raising taxes on the middle class, or cutting other important state spending like funding for schools. By placing a cap on Medicaid, Republicans are setting up a mechanism by which they could easily raid the program for dollars in the future by simply changing the growth rate.

The full analysis can be found here.

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