House Republicans clash over depth of Medicaid cuts and tax breaks in Trump’s contentious $5 trillion package
House Republicans face bitter divisions over the scope of tax cuts and Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trump’s sprawling $5 trillion tax and spending package, as they rush to pass the bill without Democratic support.
Early Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Committee approved the bill after a gruelling overnight session, but the legislative battle is far from over. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La, stayed up past midnight struggling to unite his party amid growing opposition from multiple factions.
The Freedom Caucus, the party’s staunch conservative wing, slammed the bill’s Medicaid work requirements as a “joke” that fails to deliver meaningful cost savings. Rep. Chip Roy, a key Freedom Caucus leader, bluntly warned that many Republicans “could not bless this product” in its current form.
At the same time, moderate Republicans from high-tax states such as New York resist the bill’s limits on state and local tax (SALT) deductions, demanding deeper tax relief for their constituents. This growing rift threatens to derail Trump’s signature legislative priority in his second term.
Despite the discord, the party pushes toward a critical deadline this Friday, when the Budget Committee will attempt to merge hundreds of pages of complex text covering tax breaks, Medicaid cuts, food stamp reductions, and green energy rollbacks. Trump and GOP leaders are betting on passing the bill by Memorial Day, May 26, to send it swiftly to the Senate, where a different Republican plan is being shaped.
Democrats have fiercely opposed the legislation, branding it a “cruel, mean, rotten bill” that hands the wealthy massive tax breaks at the expense of vital social safety net programmes relied on by millions of Americans. House Minority Leader Jim McGovern spoke passionately against the proposal as the Agriculture Committee debated cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP).
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s preliminary analysis paints a grim picture: an estimated 7.6 million fewer Americans would have health insurance under the Medicaid changes, with even more losing coverage if the Affordable Care Act is further restricted. SNAP participation would drop by about 3 million people monthly, worsening hunger for many vulnerable families.
Currently, over 70 million Americans depend on Medicaid for healthcare, and roughly 40 million rely on SNAP food assistance. The Republicans aim to slash roughly $1 trillion from these programmes, primarily by tightening work requirements.
The legislation proposes raising the age threshold for able-bodied adults without dependents who must work to qualify for SNAP benefits from 54 to 64. It also forces some parents to work when their children are just seven years old, down from 18 under current law. Recipients must work or participate in programmes for 80 hours a month to remain eligible.
Rep. Brett Guthrie, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, defends these changes as “common sense” policies that will “strengthen and sustain” Medicaid’s future. He insists the bill reflects Trump’s campaign promises to rein in government spending and reduce dependency on welfare.
But critics warn these cuts will push millions deeper into poverty and increase the burden on emergency services and charities. The bill’s harsh impact on the country’s most vulnerable has sparked sharp debate even within the Republican ranks.
As Johnson pushes to overcome the internal fractures, the looming vote will test whether the party can unite around a bill that reshapes the social safety net while showering the wealthy with tax breaks. With the Senate preparing its own version, the final outcome remains uncertain.
The stark choice facing House Republicans is clear: embrace a sweeping bill that sacrifices healthcare and food aid for tax cuts or risk losing their slim majority by alienating factions within their ranks. Either way, millions of Americans could face harsher conditions in the coming years, as the fight over Trump’s legislative agenda intensifies.
