The House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Wednesday passed the budget reconciliation text by a vote of 30 to 24.
The committee approved the bill following a marathon 26-hour markup. The resolution will now go to the full House.
The House Budget Committee tasked the House Committee on Energy and Commerce with identifying $880 billion in savings and new revenue.
Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said: "We've worked diligently to meet that target by ending wasteful Green New Deal-style spending, supporting the rapid innovation of American industry and federal agencies, and eliminating the waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid that jeopardizes care for millions of women, children, people with disabilities, and elderly Americans.
"Medicaid was created to protect healthcare for Americans who otherwise could not support themselves, but Democrats expanded the program far beyond this core mission. That's why we are establishing common sense work requirements for capable, but not working adults in the expansion population. Let me be clear – these work requirements would only apply to able-bodied adults without dependents who don't have a disqualifying condition, encouraging them to re-enter the workforce and regain their independence."
Congresswoman Diana DeGette, D-Colo., who serves on the committee, said the bill would cut $715 billion from Medicaid, kick 13.7 million Americans off their healthcare and defund Planned Parenthood.
"But here's the truth: You can't cut $715 billion from Medicaid without kicking eligible recipients off the program," DeGette said. "The policies House Republicans want to implement have been tried in states like Georgia and Arkansas, and they have failed miserably, leading to eligible people losing their healthcare and actually costing the states more money."
Democrats on the committee offered a number of amendments to healthcare provisions in the resolution, and none passed. They included an amendment to require the Health and Human Services secretary to certify that the Trump administration would not cut Medicaid benefits.
The American Hospital Association said Medicaid is the largest single source of coverage in the United States, providing healthcare to more than 72 million Americans.
The Medicaid shortfall in hospital payments was $27.5 billion in 2023, the AHA said.
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org