GOP mulls 'politically difficult' plan to take massive ax to Medicaid: report

Republicans in the House of Representatives are reportedly plotting drastic cuts to Medicaid that Punchbowl News describes as a "politically difficult" plan to enact with their thin majority.

While Republicans had previously pitched a block grant scheme that would cap Medicaid spending to save money to fund tax cuts, Punchbowl reported that "House GOP negotiators now believe they will have to dig deeper into Medicaid spending to meet those targets, including potentially cutting benefits for enrollees."

Medicaid provides health insurance to low-income Americans and Punchbowl notes that even some Republicans are getting queasy about hacking away at it too deeply.

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"I’ll be very blunt — Medicaid isn’t just something for people who don’t want to work or on welfare,” Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) told the publication. “Seventy-million people in this country get their health care through Medicaid now, because we increased the limits.”

Given the tiny two-seat majority that House Republicans now have, Punchbowl noted that it's entirely possible that their plans will completely stall and that the government will shut down next month.

"We’ve been crystal clear in our view that Washington is drastically underestimating the chance for a government shutdown after March 14," the publication added.