Latest news with #R-N.D.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate Republicans open the door to cutting Medicare 'waste' in Trump agenda bill
WASHINGTON — Looking at new ways to pay for their sprawling bill for President Donald Trump's domestic agenda, Republicans are exploring ideas to slash 'waste, fraud and abuse' in Medicare, several senators said Thursday. And President Donald Trump has blessed the pursuit, they said. 'I think anything that can be — that's waste, fraud and abuse are open to, obviously, discussions,' Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters. He said that Republicans have primarily looked at Medicaid to find savings but that they're open to looking at other programs, too. 'The focus, as you know, has been on addressing waste, fraud, abuse within Medicaid and, but right now, we're open to suggestions that people have them about other areas where there is, you know, clearly, waste, fraud and abuse that can be rooted out in any government program,' Thune said. Medicare has historically been seen as political third rail, a program members of both parties have been wary of touching in fear of backlash from older voters. But Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said they shouldn't be afraid of cutting waste in Medicare. 'Why don't we go after that? I think we should,' Cramer said. 'Some people are afraid of the topics; I'm not,' he added, noting that they would focus on waste, fraud and abuse. 'In my view, this is our moment as Republicans in control of all three branches, and we ought to be going after more fiscal responsibility. And some people are making that case. Other people are wringing their hands.' Senate Republicans said that they discussed the issue during a closed-door meeting and that it also came up with Trump when Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee met with him Wednesday. 'What the president made clear is [he] does not want to see any cuts to beneficiaries. But to go after, he repeated over again — the waste, fraud and abuse, the waste, fraud and abuse,' Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said. White House spokesman Kush Desai echoed that point. 'The president has been clear — no cuts to Medicare, Social Security, or Medicaid. This bill addresses waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending,' Desai said in an email. The discussions open up a policy debate that could have explosive political ramifications. Medicare is a highly popular program that provides health insurance to people over 65 years old, and Democrats are already launching attacks on the new GOP discussions about making changes to the program. 'A program that 66 million Americans rely on is not waste, fraud, or abuse — it's lifesaving for the constituents of Republicans pushing to gut Medicare,' Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in a statement Thursday. 'Let's be crystal clear: Donald Trump gave Republicans the green light to gut access to lifesaving medication and rip away health insurance to fund tax handouts for billionaires. These dangerous attacks are as disgraceful as they are unpopular — and will cost Republicans their seats come the midterms.' GOP leaders are searching for ways to lower the cost of the bill passed by the House, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. It includes Medicaid and health spending cuts that Republicans describe as 'waste, fraud and abuse,' which the CBO estimates would result in 10.9 million fewer people having insurance. Still, some conservative senators insist on mitigating the red ink to vote for the bill. And it's unclear how narrowly or broadly Senate Republicans would define 'waste, fraud and abuse' when it comes to Medicare. There is skepticism in the GOP about pursuing that path. 'What a terrible idea. We should not be touching Medicare,' Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said, recalling that trying to cut retirement spending has burned the Republican Party in the past. 'In 2004 President Bush got re-elected and promptly tried to privatize Social Security, and Republicans didn't win the popular vote for 20 years,' Hawley said. 'So if you don't ever want to win an election again, just go fiddle around with people's Medicare that they've worked hard for, paid into.' Hawley launched similar criticisms when Republicans began going after Medicaid for savings, but he said he supports most of the spending cuts in the House-passed bill, including the work requirements and eligibility rules. The talks about Medicare came as news to some Republicans. 'I haven't heard any discussion of cutting Medicare. That's a vital program that people have earned their benefits for, and I'm not going to say never, because maybe there's some waste, fraud, abuse, kind of language, but I certainly would not support cutting Medicare benefits,' Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told reporters. A potential option senators mentioned is a bipartisan bill that would 'improve the way Medicare Advantage plans assess patients' health risks and reduce overpayments for care,' according to a description of the legislation. The bill, called the "No UPCODE Act," is co-sponsored by Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. A recent CBO report said the policies in the bill could save $124 billion over 10 years. 'To say it has bipartisan support is an underestimate,' Cassidy told NBC News. 'I think that would be a reasonable way to protect it, don't cut benefits, you're taking care of patients, but you're trying to rescue the program.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- NBC News
Senate Republicans open the door to cutting Medicare 'waste' in Trump agenda bill
WASHINGTON — Looking at new ways to pay for their sprawling bill for President Donald Trump's domestic agenda, Republicans are exploring ideas to slash 'waste, fraud and abuse' in Medicare, several senators said Thursday. And President Donald Trump has blessed the pursuit, they said. 'I think anything that can be — that's waste, fraud and abuse are open to, obviously, discussions,' Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters. He said that Republicans have primarily looked at Medicaid to find savings but that they're open to looking at other programs, too. 'The focus, as you know, has been on addressing waste, fraud, abuse within Medicaid and, but right now, we're open to suggestions that people have them about other areas where there is, you know, clearly, waste, fraud and abuse that can be rooted out in any government program,' Thune said. Medicare has historically been seen as political third rail, a program members of both parties have been wary of touching in fear of backlash from older voters. But Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said they shouldn't be afraid of cutting waste in Medicare. 'Why don't we go after that? I think we should,' Cramer said. 'Some people are afraid of the topics; I'm not,' he added, noting that they would focus on waste, fraud and abuse. 'In my view, this is our moment as Republicans in control of all three branches, and we ought to be going after more fiscal responsibility. And some people are making that case. Other people are wringing their hands.' Senate Republicans said that they discussed the issue during a closed-door meeting and that it also came up with Trump when Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee met with him Wednesday. 'What the president made clear is [he] does not want to see any cuts to beneficiaries. But to go after, he repeated over again — the waste, fraud and abuse, the waste, fraud and abuse,' Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said. The discussions open up a policy debate that could have explosive political ramifications. Medicare is a highly popular program that provides health insurance to people over 65 years old, and Democrats are already launching attacks on the new GOP discussions about making changes to the program. 'A program that 66 million Americans rely on is not waste, fraud, or abuse — it's lifesaving for the constituents of Republicans pushing to gut Medicare,' Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in a statement Thursday. 'Let's be crystal clear: Donald Trump gave Republicans the green light to gut access to lifesaving medication and rip away health insurance to fund tax handouts for billionaires. These dangerous attacks are as disgraceful as they are unpopular — and will cost Republicans their seats come the midterms.' GOP leaders are searching for ways to lower the cost of the bill passed by the House, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. It includes Medicaid and health spending cuts that Republicans describe as 'waste, fraud and abuse,' which the CBO estimates would result in 10.9 million fewer people having insurance. Still, some conservative senators insist on mitigating the red ink to vote for the bill. And it's unclear how narrowly or broadly Senate Republicans would define 'waste, fraud and abuse' when it comes to Medicare. There is skepticism in the GOP about pursuing that path. 'What a terrible idea. We should not be touching Medicare,' Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said, recalling that trying to cut retirement spending has burned the Republican Party in the past. 'In 2004 President Bush got re-elected and promptly tried to privatize Social Security, and Republicans didn't win the popular vote for 20 years,' Hawley said. 'So if you don't ever want to win an election again, just go fiddle around with people's Medicare that they've worked hard for, paid into.' Hawley launched similar criticisms when Republicans began going after Medicaid for savings, but he said he supports most of the spending cuts in the House-passed bill, including the work requirements and eligibility rules. The talks about Medicare came as news to some Republicans. 'I haven't heard any discussion of cutting Medicare. That's a vital program that people have earned their benefits for, and I'm not going to say never, because maybe there's some waste, fraud, abuse, kind of language, but I certainly would not support cutting Medicare benefits,' Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told reporters. The White House didn't immediately reply to a request for comment on what specific Medicare changes Trump favors. A potential option senators mentioned is a bipartisan bill that would 'improve the way Medicare Advantage plans assess patients' health risks and reduce overpayments for care,' according to a description of the legislation. The bill, called the "No UPCODE Act," is co-sponsored by Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. A recent CBO report said the policies in the bill could save $124 billion over 10 years. 'To say it has bipartisan support is an underestimate,' Cassidy told NBC News. 'I think that would be a reasonable way to protect it, don't cut benefits, you're taking care of patients, but you're trying to rescue the program.'
Axios
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Senate GOP demands new sanctions against Russia
Senate Republicans are seizing on President Trump's growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin to argue the time to impose fresh sanctions on Russia is now. Why it matters: Trump 's tone on Putin has shifted in recent days, calling the Russian president "crazy" and warning he is "playing with fire" in Ukraine while Trump heads off "really bad things." The Kremlin dismissed Trump's criticisms — after Russia escalated its missile and drone attacks against Kyiv this weekend — with its former president Dmitry Medvedev posting on X: "I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!" 🥊 Zoom in: The Senate wants to translate Trump's words into action. "ITS TIME FOR SANCTIONS STRONG ENUF SO PUTIN KNOWS 'game over,'" Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) posted today on X. "Pres Trump shld take the decisive action agst Putin that he takes agst Harvard," Grassley said in another post. "Sanctions for Putin like no fed grants for Harvard." Zoom out: Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said last week he is ready to move on a popular, bipartisan sanctions bill if Russia won't come to the table in good faith. But he was also clear that he "will work" with the White House on timing and implementation. Trump's latest criticisms could give Thune the space he needs to move forward as pressure from Russia hawks in his own conference builds. Senate Democrats have been frustrated Thune isn't moving faster to bring sanctions to the floor for a vote. Driving the news: Trump's rhetoric against Putin echoed throughout the Senate today. "I'd love to do it with or without the White House, but I want to do it the way that's most helpful to the White House as well," Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told reporters about moving forward with sanctions. "Same ol', same ol' from Putin's Russia," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) posted. "There's a new sheriff in town. The old playbook won't work this time." Graham published a response to a Wall Street Journal op-ed, arguing in favor of more sanctions. The bottom line: Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have a bill to hit Russia with economic sanctions if Putin refuses to negotiate with Ukraine — or if Russia launches another attack after a peace deal is reached.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate GOP weighs SALT changes despite ‘big, beautiful bill' deal
Senate Republicans are staring down a collision course with the House as they weigh possible changes to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap as part of larger revisions to the party's massive tax bill. House Republicans hailing from high-tax blue states struck a deal with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to increase the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 from the current $10,000 mark shortly before the full chamber passed the 'big, beautiful bill' early Thursday. However, their work could be all for naught if the Senate GOP has its way: The conference has no members hailing from SALT states, and many side with President Trump on the issue despite the party's need to keep them on board in an eventual final vote in the lower chamber. 'There's not one Republican in the United States Senate who gives a s— about SALT,' said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). 'Having said that, what does matter is 218 votes in the House, and we want to be cognizant about that.' For much of the last month, the issue had been a vexing one for Johnson and House Republicans as the group of nearly a half-dozen SALT members held the keys, intent on reversing what they viewed as a wrong during the 2017 tax cut package. The current cap was put in place then, but it was set to expire fully at the end of this year without action, giving the SALT members leverage. However, that power is limited to their chamber, as Senate Republicans seem hesitant to give what they view as a bailout for Democratic-led states. 'It comes down to costs. It's probably going to get entangled [in the larger debate]. I hate the SALT policy,' Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told reporters. Tillis, a former Speaker of the House in Raleigh, noted, though, that he's sympathetic to Johnson's plight and recognizes that it probably has to remain in the bill in some form as it is debated in coming weeks. Johnson appeared at the Senate's weekly policy luncheon on Tuesday to deliver an update to the conference as the House hit the home stretch of its high-stakes negotiations. He spoke openly about the issue. He ended up striking a deal with SALT members later that day, but was candid about the thorny nature of the talks. 'He described it as trying to walk across the Grand Canyon on dental floss,' said Senate Minority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Nevertheless, some members seem intent on putting the upper chamber's imprint on the issue. Cramer told The Hill that he expects the current SALT cap deal to be potentially cut in half by the Senate into the neighborhood of $20,000 — a move that would certainly infuriate tri-state Republicans. 'I would expect — and certainly hope — that we would modify that very generous SALT cap to a more modest number that recognizes we need moderate Republican votes in the House to pass the final bill,' Cramer continued. 'But maybe this is a little bit too far for most of our taxpayers to subsidize bad tax policy in other states.' The proposed $40,000 cap would be for individuals making $500,000 or less in income. That deduction cap and income limit would increase 1 percent per year over the next decade. When the bill expires, the deduction and income limits would be $44,000 and $552,000. Overall, Senate Republicans are expecting wide rewrites of much of the House's bill, including in some parts to make it compliant with the Byrd Rule, that the upper chamber must abide by. 'I think there will be considerable changes in the Senate,' Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told reporters Thursday, pointing to a possible reprisal of what happened in the 2017 tax cut push. 'The House passed a good bill. It came to the Senate, and we made it substantially better.' The Senate Commerce Committee chairman added that he expects those changes to occur 'across the board' in the package. Senate GOP leaders will need to make revisions in part to keep as much of the caucus together as possible, with some already signaling that they are dissatisfied with the House's product and their level of spending cuts, especially those on the right. Whether SALT falls into that group remains a question. Senate Republicans also expect that Johnson will have a say in the matter as they try to hit the sweet spot on both sides of the Capitol to win the requisite levels of support. 'I think most folks in the Senate have said: let the House figure out what it takes to bring those folks on board, and then we'll do our best to honor it,' said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). 'If they're comfortable with it, I think that lends a lot of credibility to accepting theirs.' 'It's all got to fit together like a puzzle,' he added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Senate GOP weighs SALT changes despite ‘big, beautiful bill' deal
Senate Republicans are staring down a collision course with the House as they weigh possible changes to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap as part of larger revisions to the party's massive tax bill. House Republicans hailing from high-tax blue states struck a deal with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to increase the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 from the current $10,000 mark shortly before the full chamber passed the 'big, beautiful bill' early Thursday. However, their work could be all for naught if the Senate GOP has its way: The conference has no members hailing from SALT states, and many side with President Trump on the issue despite the party's need to keep them on board in an eventual final vote in the lower chamber. 'There's not one Republican in the United States Senate who gives a s— about SALT,' said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). 'Having said that, what does matter is 218 votes in the House, and we want to be cognizant about that.' For much of the last month, the issue had been a vexing one for Johnson and House Republicans as the group of nearly a half-dozen SALT members held the keys, intent on reversing what they viewed as a wrong during the 2017 tax cut package. The current cap was put in place then, but it was set to expire fully at the end of this year without action, giving the SALT members leverage. However, that power is limited to their chamber, as Senate Republicans seem hesitant to give what they view as a bailout for Democratic-led states. 'It comes down to costs. It's probably going to get entangled [in the larger debate]. I hate the SALT policy,' Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told reporters. Tillis, a former Speaker of the House in Raleigh, noted, though, that he's sympathetic to Johnson's plight and recognizes that it probably has to remain in the bill in some form as it is debated in coming weeks. Johnson appeared at the Senate's weekly policy luncheon on Tuesday to deliver an update to the conference as the House hit the home stretch of its high-stakes negotiations. He spoke openly about the issue. He ended up striking a deal with SALT members later that day, but was candid about the thorny nature of the talks. 'He described it as trying to walk across the Grand Canyon on dental floss,' said Senate Minority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Nevertheless, some members seem intent on putting the upper chamber's imprint on the issue. Cramer told The Hill that he expects the current SALT cap deal to be potentially cut in half by the Senate into the neighborhood of $20,000 — a move that would certainly infuriate tri-state Republicans. 'I would expect — and certainly hope — that we would modify that very generous SALT cap to a more modest number that recognizes we need moderate Republican votes in the House to pass the final bill,' Cramer continued. 'But maybe this is a little bit too far for most of our taxpayers to subsidize bad tax policy in other states.' The proposed $40,000 cap would be for individuals making $500,000 or less in income. That deduction cap and income limit would increase 1 percent per year over the next decade. When the bill expires, the deduction and income limits would be $44,000 and $552,000. Overall, Senate Republicans are expecting wide rewrites of much of the House's bill, including in some parts to make it compliant with the Byrd Rule, that the upper chamber must abide by. 'I think there will be considerable changes in the Senate,' Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told reporters Thursday, pointing to a possible reprisal of what happened in the 2017 tax cut push. 'The House passed a good bill. It came to the Senate, and we made it substantially better.' The Senate Commerce Committee chairman added that he expects those changes to occur 'across the board' in the package. Senate GOP leaders will need to make revisions in part to keep as much of the caucus together as possible, with some already signaling that they are dissatisfied with the House's product and their level of spending cuts, especially those on the right. Whether SALT falls into that group remains a question. Senate Republicans also expect that Johnson will have a say in the matter as they try to hit the sweet spot on both sides of the Capitol to win the requisite levels of support. 'I think most folks in the Senate have said: let the House figure out what it takes to bring those folks on board, and then we'll do our best to honor it,' said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). 'If they're comfortable with it, I think that lends a lot of credibility to accepting theirs.' 'It's all got to fit together like a puzzle,' he added.
