Medicaid Cuts, Billionaire Tax Breaks: FL Reaction To House Budget

FLORIDA — Lawmakers in Florida are responding to House Republicans’ budget proposal that extends $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and raises the debt ceiling by $4 trillion, setting the stage for advancing many of President Donald Trump’s top domestic priorities.

At the same time, the budget plan released Wednesday directs a variety of House committees to cut spending by at least $1.5 trillion while stating that the goal is to reduce spending by $2 trillion over 10 years.

“House Republicans have released their plan for the budget. It would drive up costs for health care and food for millions of Americans to provide more than $4 trillion in tax breaks to billionaire donors and big corporations,” Rep. Lois Frankel, a Democrat representing Florida’s 22nd congressional district, posted to X, formerly Twitter, adding, “House Democrats are fighting for a better deal.”

Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Democrat representing Florida’s 24th district, also called out the proposed budgets.

“Republicans showed their true priorities — gutting Medicaid and SNAP while handing tax breaks to the billionaires who bought them,” she posted to X. “They’re tearing down working families and Democrats will fight back!”

Some Florida Republicans generally defended the need to cut federal spending in recent days.

“We are spending money on the wrong things—and the truth of where we are spending American tax dollars is stranger than fiction,” Rep. Aaron Bean, a Republican representing the state’s 4th district, posted to X.

Rep. Laurel Lee, a Republican representing the 15th district, posted to X, “The overhaul to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse within our government is long overdue. The American people deserve to know where all of their taxpayer dollars are being spent.”

The blueprint represents a first step in a lengthy legislative process that would allow Republicans to pass some of their top priorities in a simple majority vote. The House Budget Committee is expected to hold votes on the plan on Thursday. House Speaker Mike Johnson predicted it would easily advance out of committee.

“Then, we’ll work with everybody over the week to make sure they are on board,” Johnson said.

Tensions remain within the Republican conference about the scope of both the proposed tax and spending cuts. Some want more tax cuts and others want steeper spending cuts.

“There’ll be a lot of negotiations back and forth,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of moving parts to this, but our objective is to fulfill all the president’s campaign promises and the full agenda, so we have time to do that.”

Budget resolutions are often statements of policy priorities, but this 45-page plan provides specific directions to House committees to rearrange the federal money flow. GOP leaders are eyeing cuts to social services, and particularly Medicaid, as they seek massive savings.

The Energy and Commerce Committee, which handles health care spending, is asked to cut $880 billion over the decade, while the Education and Workforce Committee is asked to reduce spending by $330 billion. The Agriculture Committee is asked to save $230 billion, while the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is asked to find at least $10 billion in cuts through 2034.

The plan would shift money to some Trump priorities, including a $100 billion boost in defense spending over the next decade, and an additional $90 billion for the Homeland Security Department, which is carrying out Trump’s massive immigration deportation.

House Democrats were harshly critical of the budget plan.

Pennsylvania Rep. Brendan Boyle, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said that the tax cuts won’t pay for themselves through increased economic growth.

“Instead, their plan blows up the deficit and sticks the middle class with the bill, whether through higher prices, deep cuts to essential programs, or both,” the Philadelphia lawmaker said.

And Rep. Paul Tonko (D-New York) said it could eventually lead to many who rely on Medicaid for their health insurance coverage to see higher costs or lose coverage entirely.

“To take away this lifesaving coverage is cruel in its own right. But to do it all to further line the pockets of their donors, of the wealthiest Republicans and corporations, is despicable,” Tonko said.

Republicans say they don’t want to take benefits away from those who rely on Medicaid, but they are considering requiring more able-bodied Americans to work as a condition of their participation.

“If you add work requirements to Medicaid, it makes sense to people. It's common sense,” Johnson said. “Little things like that make a big difference not only in the budgeting process but in the morale of the people. You know, work is good for you. You find dignity in work. And the people who are not doing that, we're going to try to get their attention.”

As House Republicans press ahead, Senate Republicans on Wednesday started work on a narrower effort focused on boosting border security and defense spending. It would allow $175 billion to be spent on border security, $150 billion for defense and $20 billion for the Coast Guard. Their budget would not include an extension of tax cuts, leaving that to be dealt with in a second bill later this year.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, the committee's chair, said in selling the blueprint to other lawmakers that a majority of Americans support deporting immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, but that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was running out of funding.

He said more agents and detention space will be needed to allow for the deportation effort.

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the committee, said the GOP effort would in the end drive the nation deeper into debt through massive tax cuts that he said primarily benefit the wealthy. He said it's a trend that has occurred repeatedly with Republicans in the White House.

“We are seeing a replay of the charade one more time,” Merkley said. “The trickle down never trickles down.”

Republicans have been debating since last year whether to enact the bulk of Trump’s agenda in one or two pieces of legislation. The Senate is moving on a two-bill track, while the House is moving on a one-bill track. It’s unclear which side will win out in the end.

Correction: The headline has been updated to reflect the changes proposed for Medicaid spending.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.