Millions of low-income Americans who rely on Medicaid for their health care could soon face major disruptions as House Republicans consider deep cuts to the program, prompting a stark warning from one of their own.
Rep. David Valadao, a California Republican who represents the highest share of Medicaid recipients in the GOP Conference, is cautioning party leaders to tread carefully.
“It’s a dangerous situation,” Valadao said in a Tuesday interview, urging colleagues not to advance proposals that he says could devastate his constituents — and the broader U.S. safety net.
At the center of the debate is a sweeping GOP package that would pair tax cuts, border security investments, and energy policies with significant reductions in federal Medicaid spending.
Internal discussions among House Republicans include capping funding for beneficiaries in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act — a change that could affect 41 states.
Valadao, who previously lost his seat in 2018 after voting to repeal the ACA, is urging caution but not issuing hard ultimatums.
He’s particularly wary of advancing proposals unlikely to survive the Senate or a presidential veto, warning that such efforts could backfire both politically and personally on millions of vulnerable Americans.
“Don’t ask a bunch of us in the House just to vote for something that will fail in the Senate and or get vetoed by the President,” he said. “We’re very, very concerned.”
Though former President Donald Trump has publicly pledged not to cut Medicaid — except to reduce waste and fraud — many Republicans are moving ahead with proposals that contradict those assurances.
That includes shifting more financial responsibility to states and implementing work requirements for some Medicaid recipients, policies that critics argue could reduce access for millions.
Valadao confirmed that Republicans are discussing a “rainy day fund” to protect states from unexpected funding gaps if block grants or funding caps are adopted.
Still, he admitted the details remain unclear and questioned the true fiscal impact.
“I talked to a lot of my facilities at home, and they seemed okay with it,” Valadao said, referring to hospitals and clinics serving Medicaid patients. “But I’ve also heard that the president is not a huge fan. I don’t know if that’s true.”
Why It Matters to Medicaid Beneficiaries
If the GOP pushes forward with the proposed changes:
- Millions in expansion states like California could lose access to care
- Hospitals and clinics could face funding shortfalls
- New eligibility restrictions, such as work requirements, could lead to coverage loss
While Valadao says he remains open to certain funding caps, he’s distancing himself from more aggressive proposals — like Rep. Don Bacon’s (R-Neb.) $500 billion federal cut threshold — calling such figures “a lot” and potentially “foo-foo numbers just to make people happy.”
The Bottom Line
For now, the proposals remain in flux. But Medicaid beneficiaries across the country should stay alert. Cuts are not just theoretical anymore — they’re on the negotiating table. Even moderate Republicans are signaling alarm over what could come next.
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