Trump-backed budget proposal puts Medicaid in focus: Bias Breakdown

WELCOME TO BIAS BREAKDOWN.

I’M YOUR HOST KARAH RUCKER.

IS MEDICAID ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK IN THE REPUBLICAN-LED BUDGET PROPOSAL – ALSO KNOWN AS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S “BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL.”

IT’S A FAMILIAR DEBATE – ONE WE HEARD BACK ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL –

TRUMP PROMISING MASSIVE FEDERAL SPENDING CUTS CHEERED ON BY THE RIGHT.

BUT UNCERTAINTY OVER **WHERE THOSE CUTS WILL BE – SPARKED PUSHBACK FROM THE LEFT. 

NOW WITH NEW MOVEMENT ON A BUDGET THAT LOOKS TO SLASH UP TO 1.5 TRILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT DECADE AND EXTEND THE TRUMP TAX CUTS –

THE QUESTION IS BACK.

WILL THE SPENDING CUTS INCLUDE MEDICAID?

NEWS OUTLETS ON THE LEFT SAY ONE THING –

NEWS OUTLETS ON THE RIGHT SAY ANOTHER.

WE’LL SORT THROUGH THE POLITICS AND GET TO WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON.

THAT’S THE FOCUS OF TODAY’S BIAS BREAKDOWN.

IT’S AN ISSUE THAT MATTERS TO ONE IN FIVE AMERICANS. MEDICAID.

AND WITH SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT ON THE LINE – READING THE HEADLINES DOESN’T INSPIRE CONFIDENCE. 

SOME OUTLETS ON THE LEFT – LIKE MSNBC AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS – WROTE –

‘Largest medicaid cut in american history’: leader jeffries issues warning about budget.”

“Republicans consider cuts and work requirements for Medicaid, jeopardizing care for millions”

SOME HEADLINES FROM OUTLETS ON THE RIGHT – LIKE FOX NEWS AND THE FEDERALIST –

READ – “Dems weaponize Medicaid anxiety in bid to take down Trump-backed federal funding plan” AND “Republicans, Don’t Buy Democrats’ Lies About Medicaid ‘Cuts’”.

LET’S CATCH YOU UP ON WHERE CONGRESS IS AT IN THE PROCESS OF PASSING THE BUDGET.

WE’LL LOOK AT WHAT THE BILL **ACTUALLY SAYS –

AND THEN WE’LL GO BACK TO HOW THE LEFT AND RIGHT ARE INTERPRETING IT –

CITING DIFFERENT SETS OF DATA.

HERE’S WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW.

CONGRESS IS LOOKING TO PASS A BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 AND SET FORTH SPENDING LEVELS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.

RIGHT NOW – THE GOVERNMENT IS BEING FUNDED THROUGH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION THAT EXTENDED 2024 SPENDING LEVELS.

THIS IS A **COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET PROPOSAL AT HAND – REFERRED TO BY REPUBLICANS AS “PRESIDENT TRUMP’S BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL” – BECAUSE IT INCLUDES BUDGETARY ITEMS – WHILE ALSO **EXTENDING TRUMP’S 2017 TAX CUTS – BOOSTS BORDER SECURITY, NATIONAL DEFENSE – AND – **CUTS GOVERNMENT SPENDING.

HOW THIS WORKS? LET’S WALK THROUGH THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS –

THE HOUSE FIRST PASSES ITS VERSION OF A BUDGET RESOLUTION – WHICH IT DID IN LATE FEBRUARY.

THAT VERSION CALLED FOR 1.5 TRILLION DOLLARS IN SPENDING CUTS OVER THE NEXT DECADE.

THE SENATE PASSED AN **AMENDED VERSION** OF THE HOUSE’S BUDGET BLUEPRINT IN EARLY APRIL –

BUT **ITS VERSION CALLED FOR ONLY 4 BILLION DOLLARS IN SPENDING CUTS.

THE HOUSE AND SENATE **MUST PASS THE SAME BUDGET **PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE PROCESS.

THE HOUSE WAS SCHEDULED TO VOTE ON THE SENATE’S AMENDED VERSION APRIL 9 – BUT THE VOTE WAS CALLED OFF BECAUSE 12 REPUBLICANS WERE AGAINST THE SENATE’S MASSIVE REDUCTION – FROM 1.5 TRILLION TO 4 BILLION – IN ITS TARGET SPENDING CUTS.

BUT ON APRIL 10 – THE HOUSE PASSED THE SENATE’S VERSION – AFTER A PLEDGE BY THE SENATE TO BRING **BACK THE HOUSE’S TARGET OF 1.5 TRILLION DOLLARS TO CUT.

THAT’S WHERE THINGS STAND TODAY – AN AGREED BUDGET **BLUEPRINT.

NEXT – HOUSE AND SENATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES WILL MEET TO TALK SPECIFICS – AND OUTLINE THEM INTO A RECONCILIATION BILL – 

THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE SAID THEY HOPE **BOTH CHAMBERS WILL PASS AND HAVE OVER TO TRUMP’S DESK BY MEMORIAL DAY (may 26th for gfx.)

INSIDE THE BUDGET BLUEPRINT WITH THE 1.5 TRILLION SPENDING CUTS –

THE WORDS MEDICAID AND MEDICARE AREN’T MENTIONED.

BUT THE RESOLUTION DOES INDICATE – 

THE “COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE” iS TASKED WITH “REDUCING THE DEFICIT BY NOT LESS THAN 880 BILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT DECADE.”

THAT COMMITTEE **OVERSEES PROGRAMS SUCH AS MEDICAID AND MEDICARE.

ACCORDING TO THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE – WHICH IS A NONPARTISAN GOVERNMENT AGENCY FOR DATA AND ANALYSIS –

THIS COMMITTEE WILL OVERSEE 8.8 TRILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF SPENDING AND MEDICAID ACCOUNTS FOR 8.2 TRILLION OR 93 PERCENT OF THAT.

THE BUDGET OFFICE ALSO WROTE –

WHEN MEDICARE AND MEDICAID ARE EXCLUDED – THE COMMITTEE OVERSEES A TOTAL OF 581 BILLION DOLLARS IN SPENDING ELSEWHERE.

WHICH IS LESS THAN ITS 880 BILLION DOLLAR CUT GOAL.

THE BUDGET OFFICE INDICATING BASED OFF OF THIS DATA – REPUBLICANS **WILL HAVE TO CUT INTO MEDICAID.

DEMOCRATS – ARE USING THIS DATA TO SUPPORT THEIR CLAIM THAT MEDICAID CUTS **ARE COMING.

“Will republicans move to cut medicaid? Absolutely and its going to be devastating for families across this country. 

“there is no way that they can get to the cuts they want without deep deep cuts to medicaid program.” 

“Mike johnson is completely blowing smoke right now…it will cut 880 billion dollars from the committee that oversees healthcare of americans.”

“Nobody wants these savage cuts to medicaid. It will decimate health care for so many people.”

REPUBLICANS ARGUE – CUTS TO MEDICAID **BENEFITS WON’T HAPPEN –

SUGGESTING ANY SHRINKAGE OF MEDICAID – IS GOING TO COME FROM ELIMINATING FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE –

AND USE **THIS DATA TO SUGGEST – THE NUMBERS **COULD BE ON PAR WITH THEIR TARGET. 

LETS LOOK INTO HOW MUCH “FRAUD AND WASTE” IS **ESTIMATED WITHIN MEDICARE AND MEDICAID COMPARED TO THE TARGET 880 BILLION DOLLAR CUT OVER 10 YEARS – NUMBERS CITED BY THE HOUSE SPEAKER.

KEEP IN MIND – THESE NUMBERS ARE **ESTIMATES – AS THE ACTUAL AMOUNT OF FRAUD ISN’T KNOWN ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT REPORTS.

ACCORDING TO THE “GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE” – ANOTHER NONPARTISAN GOVERNMENT AGENCY FOR AUDITING –

IN FISCAL YEAR 2024 – **MEDICARE SAW 54.3 BILLION DOLLARS PAID IN WHAT’S LABELED AS “IMPROPER PAYMENTS.”

DURING THE SAME TIME FRAME – **MEDICAID SAW AN ESTIMATED 31 BILLION DOLLARS IN “IMPROPER PAYMENTS.”

TOTALLING BETWEEN THE TWO – 85.3 BILLION DOLLARS.

AND TO REACH ITS 880 BILLION DOLLAR CUTS OVER 10 YEARS –

THE “COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE” WILL NEED TO CUT 88 BILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR –

SUGGESTING THE ESTIMATE OF “IMPROPER PAYMENTS” IS CLOSE TO ITS TARGET.

HOWEVER ACCORDING TO THE G-A-O –  IMPROPER PAYMENTS **INCLUDE FRAUD – BUT ALSO INCLUDE PAYMENTS MADE “in an incorrect amount, that should not have been made at all, or that lack sufficient documentation.”

IN ITS REPORT OVER IMPROPER PAYMENTS –

THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES WROTE – 

“The vast majority of improper payments occurred in situations where a reviewer could not determine if a payment was proper because of insufficient documentation.

While fraud and abuse are one cause of improper payments, not all improper payments represent fraud or abuse.”

TOP RANKING REPUBLICANS – INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF – HAVE BEEN ASKED THE QUESTION FOR MONTHS –

STICKING TO MEDICAID BENEFITS NOT BEING TOUCHED.

“medicaid for example, which is what democrats are frankly lying to the american people about, no one has talked about cutting one benefit in medicaid.”

The estimate is 51 billion a year in medicaid is lost to fraud, that’s unconscionable.” 

“We have to root out fraud, waste and abuse, we have to eliminate people on for example medicaid who are not actually eligible to be there.”

“Can you guarantee that medicaid, medicare, social security will not be touched?”

“Yeah I mean i have said it so many times, you shouldn’t be asking me that question. This will not be – read my lips. This will not be read my lips anymore. We’re not going to touch it. Now we are going to look for fraud.”

THE RHETORIC FROM LAWMAKERS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT –

MATCH THE SAME SENTIMENT FROM THE PARTISAN MEDIA HEADLINES  WE SHOWED YOU AT THE TOP OF THIS SEGMENT.

IN SUMMARY –

NEWS OUTLETS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT HAVE CONTRASTING TAKEAWAYS FROM THE SPENDING CUTS OUTLINED IN THE BUDGET PROPOSAL.

WHILE NEWS OUTLETS ON THE LEFT SAY MEDICAID BENEFITS ARE AT RISK –

NEWS OUTLETS ON THE RIGHT SAY THEY WON’T BE TOUCHED.

RIGHT NOW ITS A GAME OF PREDICTION – OVER WHETHER BENEFITS **COULD BE CUT OR NOT.

THE KEY WORD – BEING COULD. 

AND THAT’S SOMETHING NEWS OUTLETS ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM –

HAVE IN COMMON.

IN THE NEWS MEDIA’S COVERAGE OVER THE BUDGET PROPOSAL –

THE WORD “COULD” IS LARGELY SEEN ACROSS THE BOARD.

IT “**COULD BRING SIGNIFICANT CUTS TO MEDICAID” –

“MEDICAID CUTS **COULD BE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET PLAN”.

THE “DEAL **COULD FORCE CUTS ON MEDICAID.”

WHILE IT **COULD HAPPEN – 

AS OF RIGHT NOW – THAT IS NOT OFFICIALLY ON THE TABLE – AS REPUBLICANS ARE STILL DRAFTING THE FINAL BILL – AND IT’LL BE **WEEKS UNTIL WE SEE THE FINAL PROPOSAL. 

AND THAT’S YOUR BIAS BREAKDOWN.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

IF YOU’RE NEW HERE – I’M GLAD YOU FOUND US.

AND IF YOU’RE RETURNING – THANKS FOR COMING BACK TO THE SHOW.

REMEMBER –

YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND PREVIOUS EPISODES ON ANY OF YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORMS.

IF YOU FOUND US HERE THROUGH OUR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR ON YOUTUBE – MAYBE CONSIDER SHOWING THE PODCAST SOME LOVE ON SPOTIFY AND APPLE PODCASTS. 

SINCE WE ARE SO NEW – I’M TRYING TO EXPAND OUR TRACTION OVER ON THOSE PLATFORMS AS WELL.

THIS WEEK’S EPISODE WAS A DOOZY SINCE ITS OVER SUCH A MASSIVE TOPIC THAT MILLIONS OF AMERICANS CARE ABOUT AND ARE IMPACTED BY.

THE DIFFERENT NARRATIVES FROM NEWS OUTLETS WITH A LEFT AND RIGHT POLITICAL BIAS CAN SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE WHIPLASH.

“MEDICAID IS GETTING CUT – NO ITS NOT – YES IT IS” – AND SO FORTH.

IT CAN BE CONFUSING AND ALSO EXHAUSTING.

THIS EPISODE LEANED HEAVILY INTO TRYING TO EASILY EXPLAIN THE BUDGET PROPOSAL. AND **WHY SOME PEOPLE THINK CUTS ARE COMING AND WHY PEOPLE SAY THEY’RE NOT – WHEN REALLY – THE BUDGET IS STILL BEING WRITTEN – SO WE JUST DON’T KNOW YET.

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALI CALDWELL WHO WORKED FOR A LONG TIME VISUALLY LAYING THIS OUT FOR US ON GRAPHICS – AND TO IAN KENNEDY OUR VIDEO EDITOR.

WE’RE TRYING TO CUT THROUGH THE NOISE HERE TO LEAVE YOU WITH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACTS.

AND I HOPE WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT THIS WEEK.

LEAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK FOR ME IN THE COMMENTS!

THANKS AGAIN FOR TUNING IN AND I’LL SEE YA NEXT TIME!