Thousands Sign Christian Petition Rebuking GOP's Potential Medicaid Cuts

More than 16,000 people have signed a petition started by the Christian organization Faithful America, urging the Senate to protect Medicaid and vote against the recently passed House budget resolution, which they believe may include monumental Medicaid cuts.

Why It Matters

Last week, the lower chamber narrowly passed a budget resolution seeking billions in cuts over the coming years.

Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson has repeatedly said the bill does not include any cuts to Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security, however, many Democrats argue that cuts to the government health program are likely and the independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirmed that it would be nearly impossible to reduce spending without cuts to Medicare or Medicaid.

President Donald Trump has garnered significant support among evangelical and conservative Christians, with the Associated Press reporting that about 8 in 10 white evangelicals supported him in 2020 and in 2024. However, there are many progressive Christians who have pushed back on Trump's policies and rhetoric.

What To Know

In a petition launched on February 28, Faithful America, a group of Christians advocating for social justice who have vocally spoken out against Trump, called for senators to "protect the 72 million Americans who depend on Medicaid, and vote NO on Trump's budget proposal."

Newsweek has reached out to Faithful America for comment via email on Thursday.

The House bill moved to the Senate last week, but has not yet hit the floor. Some senators have already expressed they would not vote in support of the budget resolution as is, and it is likely to be reworked. Republicans control both chambers of Congress but hold slim majorities.

Faithful America writes on its website describing the petition that the budget resolution "could cut Medicaid by $880 billion dollars." It is not clear where the cuts will be yet, as the bill does not explicitly mention Medicaid, but rather instructs the Energy and Commerce Committee, which legislates on the program, to identify at least $880 billion worth of cuts.

Democrats and critics argue that reductions are likely, given the program's size and the sheer billions to cut. The CBO said on March 5 that the House Committee on Energy and Commerce "outlays other than for Medicaid and CHIP total $381 billion over the 10‑year period," which is notably less than the $880 billion proposed cuts.

"As a Christian, I am appalled to learn that Congress is considering passing a budget resolution that strips hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid in order to ramp up racist deportations and cut taxes for the wealthy," the petition says.

Karli Wallace Thompson, Faithful America's digital campaign director, told Newsweek in an email Thursday: "[Trump's] agenda is the antithesis of Jesus's teachings and straight out of the Project 2025 playbook. More than 16,000 of our members sent messages to Congress urging them to vote no on Trump's budget proposal and asking them to reject the Christian nationalist ploy to pit vulnerable communities against each other for the benefit of the few."

Several Democrats held "Save Medicaid" signs during Trump's joint congressional address earlier this week. Democratic Representative Al Green was removed from the chamber after shouting and disturbing the speech, saying that Trump has "no mandate" to cut Medicaid. The president did not mention Medicaid during his lengthy address.

As of Thursday, there are over 16,800 signatures on the petition, which says, "It's wrong to take something as critical as health care away from millions of people just to satisfy a few individuals who have more money than they could spend in a lifetime."

Nearly 80 million people rely on Medicaid for health insurance, according to Medicaid data from October 2024. Approximately 72 million are enrolled in Medicaid, while 7.2 million are covered through the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

What People Are Saying

Josh Bivens, chief economist at the Economic Policy Institute, told CNBC: "It is very hard to imagine coming up with enough savings from what's in their jurisdiction without a hefty cut to Medicaid, just given its size."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, said the "budget resolution will set in motion the largest Medicaid cut in American history. It's outrageous."

President Donald Trump said in a February Fox interview: "Social Security won't be touched, other than this fraud or something we're going to find. It's going to be strengthened but won't be touched."

In reference to Medicare and Medicaid, he said "none of that stuff is going to be touched."

Speaker Mike Johnson said in an X post on February 26: "Medicaid is for single mothers with small children who are just trying to make it. It's not for 29-year-old males sitting on their couch playing video games. We're going to find those guys, and we will SEND them back to work!"

Representative Al Greene wrote in a March 5 X post: "Last night I stood up for those who need Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. Democrats will never abandon the fight to make sure every American has a safe, healthy, and financially secure life."

What Happens Next

The Senate must now review and approve its own budget resolution and may negotiate changes to what was passed in the House. This could include revising the $880 billion in committee cuts that may impact Medicaid.

Update 3/6/25, 3:55 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include Thompson's comment.