Congressman Nick Langworthy expressed strong support Monday for the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s new budget reconciliation legislation, calling it a “bold” step toward restoring fiscal responsibility and strengthening essential programs like Medicaid.
The bill, set for markup on May 13 at 2:00 p.m., follows months of negotiations and is part of a larger Republican push to curb government spending while reinforcing the nation’s social safety net.
“After five months of tough negotiations and in-depth discussions with key stakeholders, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has delivered a bold reconciliation bill that achieves our top priorities,” Langworthy said in a statement. “Protecting Medicaid for those who genuinely need it, advancing American energy independence, and ending the hemorrhaging of taxpayer dollars through waste, fraud, and abuse.”
Langworthy, the only Republican from New York on the committee, said he played a leading role in advocating for rural hospitals and healthcare access. He argued that the legislation balances compassion and accountability by including work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents and removing undocumented immigrants from Medicaid eligibility.
“This bill strengthens the social safety net while restoring fiscal responsibility,” Langworthy said. “Let’s be clear: if we do nothing, the system goes broke.”
Citing bipartisan policy from the 1990s, Langworthy emphasized that work requirements were once widely accepted and successful in reducing poverty and dependency. He also criticized political opposition to the reforms, accusing Democratic leaders of relying on “lies, fear-mongering, and deception.”
“While Democrats and their special interest allies cling to bloated bureaucracy and broken programs, we are delivering real solutions,” he said. “We are building on that bipartisan legacy to ensure assistance is tied to opportunity, not lifelong dependency.”
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