Pallone Slams Massive Medicaid Cuts in Republican Budget Resolution

Washington, D.C. – Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) delivered the following remarks on the House floor today in opposition to the Senate Amendment on H.Con.Res. 14, Republicans’ budget resolution:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve heard my Republican colleagues today admit that they were extending the tax cuts for the rich and the large corporations. I’ve heard them say they’re worried about the debt.

Well, certainly this bill would also increase the debt. What I have not heard them admit is that they are cutting Medicaid to pay for all of this. They will not admit that.

But this is the second time now the budget resolution passed the House. The budget resolution came over from the Senate. They’re going to vote today on instructing my Committee, the Energy and Commerce Committee, to cut $880 billion, at least. And Mr. Boyle has said, our Ranking Member, I pointed out that the CBO got back to us and said that most, if not all of that, has to come from Medicaid cuts.

So please admit that you are voting today on Medicaid cuts. Do not deny it. Do not try to put it aside. That’s what this is all about. And what does that mean? It means there’s less money to the states. And so they’re going to cut back on nursing home care. They’re going to cut back on the money that goes to hospitals.

Hospitals will close, nursing homes will close, or they’ll have such terrible quality of service, or in the case of the hospitals, they’ll pass on those extra costs to other people that have insurance, and your insurance premiums go up.

And what about people with disabilities? Most of them are dependent on Medicaid. Their services will be eliminated

or cut back as well. So please understand, a vote for this by the Republicans today is a vote to cut people’s health care, to reduce their services, to kick people out of nursing homes, to make hospitals unavailable.