Fox Host Presses Republican on Budget and Potential Medicaid Cuts

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A Fox Business host confronted a Republican lawmaker over concerns that the party's proposed budget cuts could significantly impact Medicaid, despite repeated assurances from GOP leaders that the program would remain untouched.

During an interview on Thursday, Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo pressed Texas Representative Brandon Gill on the specifics of the GOP budget plan, highlighting the possible difficulties in making deep spending cuts without addressing major entitlement programs.

Why It Matters

As President Donald Trump and top White House adviser Elon Musk, the world's richest man, look to drastically reduce spending by the federal government, Republican leaders are looking to enshrine reductions and other changes into law as part of the budget process. They are hoping to reach $2 trillion in cuts to help finance $4.5 trillion in tax breaks.

Since the House passed a budget resolution in late February that instructed the House Energy and Commerce Committee to slash spending under its jurisdiction by $880 billion, there have been concerns that proposed cuts could impact Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

As of October last year, more than 72 million people across the country had Medicaid coverage.

Fox Business Doge Medicaid
Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo pressed Republican Texas Representative Brandon Gill, on the specifics of the GOP budget plan to cut federal spending. Screengrab Fox Business

What To Know

During a Thursday interview, Gill suggested Congress could offset over $4 trillion in tax cuts championed by Trump by using the agency being spearheaded by Musk—Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse.

Gill also predicted history would record how Trump "solved" the debt crisis.

However, when Bartiromo pressed the lawmaker on the GOP budget plan, specifically the difficulty of making meaningful spending cuts without addressing major entitlement programs, he did not offer a clear response.

"President Trump stepped up, brought in one of the smartest people in the world to tackle this crisis, and despite relentless attacks from the left, he has courageously worked to solve it," he said. "We're just getting started, but the revelations we're uncovering, particularly through the DOGE Subcommittee, are absolutely egregious."

"Remember, Trump has only been in office for 40 days, so Musk's work is just beginning."

Bartiromo continued to press Gill.

"With all due respect, you haven't given me one offset. Seventy-six percent of the money goes to mandatory spending, and you know that better than anyone. I've got the numbers here. Isn't it time to address mandatory spending? Don't we need to cut things like Medicaid?" she asked, highlighting the challenge of reducing the deficit without addressing entitlement programs.

Gill countered, claiming that cutting Green New Deal programs and fostering economic growth would offset the tax cuts.

"I agree with you," he said. "We will have to find some rationalizations, like job requirements for welfare and possibly Medicaid."

Republicans have long promised deep budget cuts without touching the highly popular Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid programs. Yet many analysts argue such reductions would be nearly impossible without affecting these programs.

A report from the left-leaning group Protect Our Care, a health care advocacy group, suggests that congressional Republicans are considering slashing Medicaid funding by up to $2 trillion.

Despite GOP leaders' denials, some Republicans have indicated that changes to Medicaid's structure may be on the table.

What People Are Saying

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson told CNN: "The White House has made a commitment. The president said over and over and over, 'We're not going to touch Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid.' We've made the same commitment. Now that said, what we are going to do is go into those programs and carve out the fraud, waste and abuse, and find efficiencies."

Republican Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo said in a letter to state leaders: "An abrupt reduction in federal funding would not only disrupt care for those who rely on Medicaid, but would also destabilize public and private healthcare providers, leading to workforce reductions, service limitations, and financial strain on already overburdened health care facilities."

What Happens Next

Many budget experts remain skeptical that Republicans can achieve their targeted spending reductions without affecting Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security. According to Protect Our Care, polling indicates that a majority of Americans—across party lines—favor increased government spending on health care rather than cuts​.

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About the writer

Jesus is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, his focus is reporting on politics, current affairs and trending news. He has covered current affairs, healthcare, pop culture, and sports. Jesus joined Newsweek's U.S. bureau in 2024, and has previously worked for The Financial Times and served as an international reporter and newsletter editor for El Espectador in Colombia. He graduated with an M.A. in Journalism and Digital Innovation from New York University. Languages: English, Spanish. You can get in touch with Jesus by emailing j.mosquera@newsweek.com


Jesus is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, his focus is reporting on politics, current ... Read more