Alaska Gov. Dunleavy asks some lawmakers to stay away from special session he called
In a meeting with Republican members of the Alaska House of Representatives on Wednesday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy had what he called an 'unorthodox' request.
He asked that the 19 members of the House's Republican minority caucus stay away from the first five days of a special legislative session he called for Aug. 2 in Juneau.
Under the Alaska Constitution, the Legislature must vote to override or sustain a governor's vetoes in the first regular or special session following the vetoes. If those Republicans are absent, it increases the odds that his vetoes will be sustained.
An absence is as good as a 'no' vote when it comes to getting the 45 votes needed to override a veto of line items in a budget bill or the 40 votes needed to override a veto of a policy bill.
In May, lawmakers voted 46-14 to override Dunleavy's veto of a policy bill that permanently increases the state's public-school funding formula. Eight of the 19 House minority members voted for the override.
Now, they're being asked whether to override the governor's decision to only partially fund that formula.
The governor's opponents will have a difficult task. Some lawmakers, including Sen. Forrest Dunbar, D-Anchorage, are expected to be unavailable for the special session. Dunbar has been deployed with the National Guard in Poland.
Others may have family commitments that are obstacles to attending. If minority-caucus legislators heed the governor's request and avoid the special session, they will be largely immune to last-minute lobbying by their colleagues or members of the public.
'If you want the veto override to fail, when we're talking about less than $50 million here on a multibillion-dollar budget, I guess you pull out every stop, and this is a stop that I've not seen pulled out by any governor,' said Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham and a supporter of the override.
Reporters were not invited to the meeting between the governor and the House minority, but Jeff Turner, the governor's communications director, confirmed the details, first reported by KTUU-TV.
'Governor Dunleavy asked house minority members to not show up for the first five days of session because like any governor, he does not want his vetoes overturned,' he said by email.
Dunleavy has designated education policy and the creation of a Department of Agriculture as the subjects of the special session. Turner said the governor planned to introduce an education bill for lawmakers to consider during the session.
'Arriving on the sixth day also means legislators begin the session with a clean slate for conversations on public education reform policies. The Governor is also willing to reinstate the $200 BSA increase, if he and lawmakers can reach an agreement on the education bill he will introduce next month,' Turner said.
House Minority Leader Mia Costello, R-Anchorage, did not return a call seeking comment, but other members of the minority spoke freely about the governor's request.
'I will use the governor's exact word: Unorthodox. It was definitely an unorthodox request that took me by surprise,' said Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna.
While the governor's official special session proclamation lists education and a proposed Alaska Department of Agriculture on its agenda, 'he was very clear that a big portion of the strategy for him was, he did not want to be overridden on anything: bills, budget, all of it.'
Ruffridge voted in favor of the prior override and indicated that he's willing to vote the same way in a special session.
'I've taken the approach sort of since day one, that if I vote yes on something, that my yes means something, I know that probably doesn't always align with the political winds that might blow, but I think that's something that my constituents at least respect,' he said.
Ruffridge said he absolutely intends to show up at the special session.
'If a special session is called, I think all representatives and senators have an obligation to attempt to be there, if at all possible,' Ruffridge said. 'I think that's part of what we signed up for when we signed up to do the job. And I mean, if you're not going to show up, I think essentially, you're just afraid of taking hard votes at that point.'
Rep. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River, has a different perspective.
'I think that's fine,' she said of the governor's request. 'It costs a lot of money. It's $300 per diem per day. You have to pay for flights and hotels. I think it's a good idea. Those who do want to continue to override, they could go ahead and go down there, and those of us who don't, it's an automatic no vote for us when we don't go there to vote.'
'My job is to make sure we save as much money as possible,' she said. 'And again, if we're not in Juneau, it's an automatic no vote. If you show up in Juneau, then I believe those individuals are going to be voting yes or wasting taxpayer dime.'
Jeremy Bynum, the Republican representative from Ketchikan, said he intends to show up in Juneau on Aug. 2, even though it means missing Ketchikan's largest annual celebration, the blueberry festival.
He's interested in attending the special session because he hopes that legislators will take up education policy, even though he doubts that will happen.
The multipartisan House majority caucus controls the legislative agenda, and it isn't clear that there is sufficient common ground between the majority and the governor to enable progress.
Rep. DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer, said she's still considering her options and is undecided about whether to travel to Juneau.
Before the House minority's meeting with the governor, Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake, said he doesn't see the governor's call for a special session as significantly different from legislative committees' attempts to advance or derail legislation by using legislative procedures or schedules. He pointed to the way that the Senate Finance Committee has used take-it-or-leave-it tactics with regard to the state budget.
Rep. Elexie Moore of Wasilla said she's likely to attend in order to vote against an override and to sustain the governor's veto.
Earlier this year, she was absent from the Capitol on a day that unexpectedly brought a key vote on the Permanent Fund dividend.
She was dragged on social media for three weeks afterward, she said by phone.
People expect their legislators to be in the Capitol, she said, and most people aren't able to follow the maneuvering that might explain an absence.
'I think that's the perspective of somebody who doesn't understand what it means not to go,' Allard said when told about Moore's thinking. '(Not attending the session) means that you're a no vote. But if she wants to go and spend, you know, $5,000 to $10,000 in taxpayer money, that's fine. I understand she was dragged on social media, but those were some bad decisions that were made — not necessarily by her — but on information about what she was doing. But I would recommend that she stay with the caucus and don't go down there.'
'I think it's a good idea,' said Rep. Mike Prax, R-North Pole, about the governor's request.
Prax supports the governor's position and said he believes the special session is a good idea, because it settles the school funding issue early. Without a special session, lawmakers would have to wait until January to decide whether to override or sustain the governor's decisions.
The Fairbanks North Star Borough school board voted in June to finalize a budget that expects lawmakers to override the governor.
If an override fails, Prax said, it's better that it fails early, so the district can change its budget before school begins.
While members of the House and Senate majority caucuses have indicated that they intend to take up only the veto overrides during the special session, Prax said he hopes lawmakers will stay and consider education policy.
While lawmakers have convened an education task force to discuss future changes, he doubts the effectiveness of that group, given the Legislature's failure to adopt the recommendations of a prior fiscal policy working group. The task force deadline to make recommendations is January 2027, after the next election.
'I am not at all optimistic that there's even any intention, frankly, of the task force coming up with something,' he said.
Edgmon, the House speaker, said that his recommendation 'to any legislator, is to show up to Juneau, get their work done and make the tough vote whether they are a yea or a nay.'
Legislative rules allow any lawmaker to issue a 'call on the House' that compels legislators to attend. Edgmon said that might be deemed dilatory and out of order in this case.
In the end, will absences even matter? Lawmakers who stay away are likely to be those most likely to support the governor.
'That could be the case for sure,' Edgmon said, 'and it'll be the voters in their districts that will judge whether or not they're doing the right thing.'
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
37 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Trump signs ‘Big Beautiful Bill,' his sweeping policy legislation
President Donald Trump on Friday, with the nation at cookouts and preparing for sparkler-filled evenings, flooded the South Lawn of the White House with a mixture of patriotic festival and a celebration of his biggest legislative accomplishment. The president who has signed a historic number of executive orders finally got his dream of signing a signature policy bill that contains a collection of his campaign promises. And then, expected by dusk, the fireworks. It was the culmination of a string of successes in recent weeks and a remarkable display of how Trump has been able to bend to his will both allies and adversaries, world leaders and university presidents, media executives and judges. Even after moments when the legislation seemed uncertain of passage, with Republican lawmakers balking at its cost and cuts to safety net programs, Trump secured the narrow margins needed through both power of persuasion and more than a little intimidation. 'I think I have more power now, I do,' he said on Thursday, when asked about the difference between his first and second terms. 'More gravitas. More power.' The legislation, which he held aloft after signing it before 6 p.m., is the latest signal that other branches of government are ceding more influence to the executive branch. Last week, the Supreme Court sharply limited the ability of federal judges to block a presidential action nationwide, even if they find it unconstitutional. The Senate several days ago rejected a resolution that would let Congress decide whether Trump can attack Iran again. And the White House is expected to make a flurry of tariff announcements in the next week, as the legislative branch declines to assert its constitutional authority on levies. Trump on Friday also welcomed the B-2 bomber pilots who dropped 14 bunker-busting bombs on Iranian uranium enrichment facilities, in an operation that Trump has said 'obliterated' the country's nuclear program. Some of those same planes flew over the White House on Friday just before he signed the bill, alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and dozens of lawmakers. Johnson gave him a gavel that he banged to mark the signing, before handing out pens to those around him. 'This whole two weeks has been incredible, hasn't it? You know, when you think of all of the victories,' Trump marveled on Thursday night before a large crowd in Iowa. Twenty minutes later, he still couldn't believe it. 'This had to be the best two weeks,' he said. 'Has anybody ever had a better two weeks?' On Friday evening, the White House lawn was filled with people for what has been a traditional July Fourth picnic. Celebratory music played and many of his Cabinet members were gathered. 'I want to wish you a very happy Independence Day,' he said, with first lady Melania Trump standing by his side. 'This is going to be something special. … The spirit in this country we haven't seen anything like it in many many years — in decades!' He highlighted many of the congressional members in the crowd, several times singling out Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), whose vote was crucial to advancing the bill after she won a number of concessions for her home state. 'Lisa, thank you very much,' Trump said. 'I have to thank you.' He also spoke about a number of past grievances, including news coverage, Democratic criticisms of the legislation, and investigations into whether Russia played a role in past elections. Reflecting on the past several weeks, he said, 'There has never been anything like it as far as winning, winning, winning.' He said the election results gave him a sweeping mandate, claiming that the legislation was the result. 'The people are happy,' he said. 'They're happy.' There are significant risks ahead, however, with a bill that is expected to add trillions of dollars to the national debt and could put millions of Americans off of Medicaid. The bill also massively infuses funding into immigration enforcement agencies, even as public approval of Trump's massive deportation agenda tumbles. Early polling indicates that most Americans don't yet know much about the mammoth bill, which will pit Trump's salesmanship against Democrats eager for an policy argument to rally around. Some of its provisions, particularly cuts to Medicaid, are unpopular and Democrats are already planning to make it a chief argument in the midterm elections. The extension of tax cuts that could help the wealthiest Americans, combined with cuts to safety net programs, could give them a potent case to make. 'This vote will haunt our Republican colleagues for years to come,' Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (New York) said shortly after it passed the Senate. 'Because of this bill, tens of millions will lose health insurance. Millions of jobs will disappear. People will get sick and die.' Throughout the tortured negotiations in the House and Senate, Trump largely rejected warning signs even from some in his own party, and has rejected some of the projections from budget analysts over some of the far-reaching implications of the bill. Even as he has secured a signature domestic achievement, he faces other challenges abroad. The initial strikes in Iran were successful, and Trump has brushed aside any notion — including preliminary U.S. intelligence reports — that it wasn't 'total obliteration' of their nuclear program. But full inspections of the sites have not taken place, the decision to intervene in a foreign conflict deeply divided Trump's base, and the Middle East remains volatile. Trump is hoping to strike a ceasefire deal in Gaza next week when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes to the White House. But he has also struggled in recent days to achieve a ceasefire in Russia's war against Ukraine. 'I'm very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin,' he told reporters early Friday morning. 'I'm very disappointed. … I don't think he's looking to stop. It's too bad.' Trump on Friday morning spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a conversation that Zelensky said focused in part on Russian airstrikes and possibilities for air defense assistance. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the phone call. Trump earlier in the week halted some weapons shipments to the war-torn country as it faces new aerial attacks and a surging Russian offensive. But there are few achievements in recent weeks that compare to his ability to muscle through legislation that cemented many of his top priorities. Trump to date has largely governed through executive orders, which could be unwound by future presidents. Since January, he has signed 168 orders, according to The American Presidency Project. Biden signed 162 over the course of his entire four years in office. Republicans are in control of both chambers of Congress, giving him a window of partisan power to attempt to pass his priorities. But with extremely narrow margins, and warring factions within the Republican Party, there so far had not been any major legislative movement. Trump decided to package everything into one piece of legislation, which he branded his One Big Beautiful Bill. White House officials described him as 'the omnipresent force behind this legislation' and couched the bill signing with historic sweep. 'Not too many presidents get the opportunity to have unified government,' a senior White House official, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity after the bill passage. 'Not too many presidents get the opportunity to enact basically the vast majority of their campaign promises in a single piece of legislation.' Trump had set a deadline of July 4, and managed to secure it. He has staged a smattering of signings at the White House, including one for the Laken Riley Act. But until now, 165 days into his presidency, he has not had a major piece of legislation to sign. 'It's the biggest bill ever signed of its kind,' Trump said.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Scoop: Ramaswamy pledges to spend at least $30M of his money in Ohio's race for governor
FIRST ON FOX: Vivek Ramaswamy is putting his money where his mouth is. The multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and business leader fueled his campaign for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination with over $30 million of his own money. And in a Fox News Digital interview Thursday, Ramaswamy revealed that when it comes to his 2026 Republican campaign for Ohio governor, "we are prepared to invest at the same scale or greater." "Whatever is required to ensure that we're successful in really leading the state to the next level," Ramaswamy said. "Losing this race is not an option. Winning is the only option, and we're going to win it. And I think that that will require resources of every form." Click Here For The Latest Fox News Reporting On Vivek Ramaswamy Ramaswamy was interviewed the day after his campaign announced that he had raised nearly $10 million in a little over four months since he announced his gubernatorial candidacy in late February. Ramaswamy's campaign touted that the money raked in set a "record for the largest first-quarter fundraising total in state history." Read On The Fox News App "I think it says that we have unprecedented support in our state, and that is a beautiful thing to see this early in a Republican race," Ramswamy said. "And I think that that's a powerful signal of unity." Ramaswamy Launches Bid For Ohio Governor Ramaswamy, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, noted he's the only major Republican candidate right now in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Mike DeWine. "I'm running unopposed in a Republican primary in a state that is certainly leaning reliably red, and I'm proud to say that we have united, not just the Republicans in Ohio, but we are beginning to draw support from a wide range of nontraditional Republican backers, entrepreneurs, younger people," he added. State Attorney General Dave Yost launched a gubernatorial campaign but dropped out of the race in May. Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, a former longtime Ohio State University head football coach who later served as president of Youngstown State University, said earlier this year he was considering a run for governor. But speculation surrounding Tressel has faded in recent weeks after his initial comments were not followed by any announcement. Asked if he has any concerns about facing a competitive primary, Ramaswamy said, "None, zero." "I like Jim a lot. He and I have had some great conversations, none of which were about this race," Ramaswamy said. "I actually consider him to be a guy who is bringing a great spirit and tenor to Ohio. And I view Coach Tressel as an asset that I want to see our state continue to use to revive our sense of unity and spirit and ambition and pursuit of success." Top Jd Vance Political Advisers To Play Key Roles In Ramaswamy Campaign In the race for the Democratic nomination in the onetime battleground turned red state, former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton launched a gubernatorial bid in January. But all eyes are on former longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who narrowly lost his Senate seat in last year's election to GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno. Brown is thought to be a potential candidate in either the Senate or gubernatorial races. Ramaswamy said he "would love the Democrats to have a competitive primary while I continue to run unopposed in this race." But he suggested it didn't matter who the Democrats nominate because "it's not who we're running against, it's what we're actually running for." "I think we have incredible strength," he added before predicting "that we're going to defeat whoever we are up against by, I believe, a decisive margin." The 39-year-old Ramaswamy launched his presidential campaign in February 2023 and quickly saw his stock rise as he went from a long shot to a contender for the Republican nomination, as part of a field of candidates challenging Trump. He campaigned on what he called an "America First 2.0" agenda and was one of Trump's biggest supporters in the field of rivals, calling Trump the "most successful president in our century." Ramaswamy dropped his White House bid early last year after a distant fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses and quickly endorsed Trump, becoming a top surrogate on the campaign trail. Trump, in the days after his November presidential election victory, named Elon Musk, the world's richest person, along with Ramaswamy, to steer the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency initiative, better known as DOGE. But in January, as Trump was inaugurated, the new administration announced Ramaswamy was no longer serving at DOGE. Ramaswamy's exit cleared the way for Musk, Trump's top donor and, at the time, a key ally, to steer DOGE without having to share the limelight. Ramaswamy quickly moved toward launching a run for governor. Ramaswamy was raised in Evendale, Ohio, in suburban Cincinnati by parents who emigrated from India. His father worked as an engineer at General Electric Aviation, and his mother was a geriatric psychiatrist. Ramaswamy and his family live in suburban Columbus. The candidate noted that "one of my core areas of focus that I think is really resonating, is elevating the standards of educational achievement in our state." "The No. 1 issue that I see resonating across the board, in a non-partisan manner, is the recognition that we are in the middle of this educational achievement crisis," he added. And Ramaswamy insisted that "anybody who's a parent, or even anybody who's a young person recently graduating from school, recognizes that this is going to be an issue that we have to turn around, to preserve our place, the leading country in the world, and that is the project that we are going to make Ohio ground zero for in the United States." Fox News' Alex Nitzberg contributed to this reportOriginal article source: Scoop: Ramaswamy pledges to spend at least $30M of his money in Ohio's race for governor
Newsweek
38 minutes ago
- Newsweek
How Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill Impacts Medicaid Users: Experts Weigh In
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Billions in Medicaid cuts passed by Republicans as part of President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" will have widespread negative implications on people across the United States, multiple experts told Newsweek. Why It Matters Trump's touted tax overhaul and spending cuts package, which passed Thursday on a 218-214 vote in the House after months of haggling in both chambers of Congress, has provoked broader concerns about health care access and funding—notably to vulnerable populations who rely on Medicaid and the social safety net. The CBO estimates the roughly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade will result in 12 million people losing coverage by 2034. Trump had repeatedly promised not to cut Medicaid benefits, including by the White House's own admission as recently as March. The cuts are deeply unpopular, according to polls, and present a political challenge for Republicans ahead of next year's midterm elections. What Is the Big, Beautiful Bill? The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a sweeping reconciliation package that advances Trump's domestic policy agenda. It includes major tax reforms, spending cuts, and regulatory changes across multiple sectors. The bill passed the House and Senate along party lines and is positioned as a cornerstone of Trump's second-term legislative goals. Numerous experts predict that Medicaid cuts and new requirements in President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" will have widespread implications on Americans and state, federal funding mechanisms. Numerous experts predict that Medicaid cuts and new requirements in President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" will have widespread implications on Americans and state, federal funding mechanisms. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva The 1,200‑page package will: Permanently extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts, while exempting overtime pay, tips and some Social Security income from taxation. Impose 80‑hour‑per‑month work requirements on many adults receiving Medicaid and apply existing SNAP work rules to additional beneficiaries. Repeal most clean‑energy tax credits created under President Biden. Authorize a $40 billion border security surge and fund a nationwide deportation initiative. Raise the federal debt ceiling by $5 trillion, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating that it could add $3.4 trillion to the deficit over the next 10 years. When Did the Big, Beautiful Bill Pass the Senate? The bill narrowly passed the Senate on Tuesday after an overnight session. The 50-50 vote generally along partisan lines was tipped in Republicans' favor by Vice President JD Vance, who cast the decisive tiebreaker vote. Has the Big, Beautiful Bill Been Signed? President Trump signed his package of tax breaks and spending cuts into law Friday during a White House ceremony. How the Big, Beautiful Bill Will Impact Medicaid Beneficiaries The bill includes changes to eligibility for Medicaid, including mandating that Medicaid recipients must carry out some kind of work for at least 80 hours a month, which has prompted many health care experts and lawmakers to warn that it will only push millions off the program. Other concerns include diminished care in rural communities and increased out-of-pocket costs for doctors' visits. To accommodate the bill's signature tax cuts, which mostly benefit the wealthy, the cuts have to come from somewhere, according to Miranda Yaver, assistant professor of health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh. Consistent with prior Republican approaches, the cuts are coming from America's safety net programs, she said. "One in five Americans relies on Medicaid for their health coverage, and one in seven Americans relies on SNAP for their food security, so cutting these critical programs will be devastating," Yaver said. Roughly 92 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries are already working or would be exempt, according to KFF. But what threatens their coverage is not noncompliance with work hours; rather, the administrative burdens of documenting their work or exemption, according to Yaver. "For that reason, the requirement can be better characterized not as a work requirement, but rather as a paperwork requirement. ... Some have characterized Medicaid paperwork requirements as a solution in search of a problem, because contrary to some characterizations of people playing video games in basements, most people on Medicaid are working or would be exempt," she said. A Medicaid accepted here sign in Kokomo, Indiana, in September 2019. A Medicaid accepted here sign in Kokomo, Indiana, in September 2019. GETTY "I don't think it's a solution in search of a problem so much as it is a solution to a different problem: low-income Americans being provided health insurance." Jake Haselswerdt, associate professor at the Truman School of Government & Public Affairs at the University of Missouri, agreed that the paperwork aspect is likely going to be an issue. "We're going to have to see, what are the regulations look like? How do states implement this?" Haselswerdt told Newsweek. "But I'm not optimistic, especially coming from a Missouri standpoint. "We have maybe the worst Medicaid agency in the country. The call center wait times at times have been the worst in the country." Chris Howard, professor of government and public policy at William & Mary, told Newsweek that cuts to Medicaid and to the Affordable Care Act [ACA] will have "profound effects" at the state level. Millions of people across the country will lose health insurance, he said, including an estimated 300,000 in his state of Virginia. "Basically, Republicans are trying to undermine big parts of the [Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare] without having to replace them," Howard said. "They learned that 'repeal and replace' did not work in Trump's first term, so now they just want to repeal." Large rural populations in some of the hardest hit states, like Virginia and Kentucky which have expanded Medicaid under the ACA, will receive reduced federal funding for individuals who rely on Medicaid. "States can't run budget deficits, and they are highly unlikely to replace all the lost funds," Howard said. "More people will lose coverage. In the health care system, every dollar of benefit to someone is also a dollar of income to someone else. "Hospitals and nursing homes, especially in rural areas, depend heavily on Medicaid dollars. Many of them will have to lay off workers or close down. If hospitals have to provide more uncompensated care to the uninsured, there will be pressure on private insurance to raise rates." Rural hospital closures not only increase driving distances for medical care, Yaver said, but they can also deter businesses from operating in communities with economic downturn. She called the rural hospital fund in the bill "a drop in the bucket relative to the devastation headed their way." Haselswerdt said the ramifications on Americans' health and well-being will also take a hit. The rural hospital fund, around $25 billion, won't be enough across all 50 states, he said. "Nothing's permanent because policy can change, but we think of them as permanent cuts—this kind of short-term, financial Band-Aid," Haselswerdt said. "I don't really think makes that much of a difference. [When] people lose coverage that means these hospitals are delivering more freer charity care that never gets paid for. "That was something that was demonstrated with the ACA. When coverage expanded under the ACA, it helped hospitals; they had less uncompensated care to deal with. So, if you change policy in such a way that more people are showing up at hospitals without health coverage, it's not going to be good for those hospitals." President Donald Trump, from left, speaks as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, listen during an event in the... President Donald Trump, from left, speaks as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, listen during an event in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Washington. More Associated Press What the White House Has Said About Impact on Medicaid A "Myth vs. Fact" sheet released by the White House on June 29 responds to numerous critiques of the One Big Beautiful Bill, including on Medicaid. The White House called it a "myth" that the legislation "kicks American families off Medicaid." "As the President has said numerous times, there will be no cuts to Medicaid," the statement reads. "The One Big Beautiful Bill protects and strengthens Medicaid for those who rely on it—pregnant women, children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families—while eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. "The One Big Beautiful Bill removes illegal aliens, enforces work requirements, and protects Medicaid for the truly vulnerable."
