It's Medicaid decision time for these House moderates

Politico

5 days ago

The House Republicans who pledged to protect Medicaid, many of whom represent large shares of enrollees, are facing intense pressure from President Donald Trump to pass it before July 4th — his self-imposed deadline.
'The American people need and deserve it,' Trump posted Tuesday on his social media site, Truth Social.
Some GOP senators who said they opposed big Medicaid cuts, most prominently Missouri's Josh Hawley, ultimately voted for the bill. Two others voted no: Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
The House's version of the bill would freeze the states' current provider tax rates — which they levy on hospitals to juice the federal contribution. The more money a state devotes to Medicaid, the greater amount of federal dollars it can qualify for, and the taxes ensure a state can cover its share of Medicaid costs without dipping into their own funds.
The Senate version keeps the freeze for the 10 states that haven't taken advantage of an Obamacare provision encouraging states to expand Medicaid to cover lower-middle-income people with a generous federal match. But it cuts the amount expansion states can levy from 6 percent of a provider's revenue to 3.5 percent. The bill starts to phase down the tax cap in 2028.
House moderates are furious with the change, alongside a clampdown on a similar tool called state-directed payments. Sixteen House Republicans wrote to Senate Majority Leader John Thune in late June, saying they won't support the legislation if it cuts the provider taxes and state-directed payments.
The hospital industry has also bombarded House lawmakers, saying the provisions will cause facilities to close, especially in rural areas.
Democrats are already saying Republicans are shredding the social safety net to extend tax cuts for the wealthy.
As in the Senate, House Republicans can lose no more than three votes if Democrats remain united in opposition.
Here are six GOP lawmakers to watch:
Rep. Don Bacon speaks to reporters on his way to a closed-door GOP caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol, on Jan. 10, 2023. |Don Bacon, Nebraska's 2nd District