Trump And GOP To Remove Who From Medicaid?

House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday that while Republicans are committed to protecting entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security for legitimate recipients, the government must begin removing individuals who are receiving Medicaid benefits without meeting the eligibility criteria.

During an appearance on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” Johnson emphasized that the GOP will safeguard these programs for those who truly qualify, stating, “The president has made absolutely clear many times, as we have as well, that we’re going to protect Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, for people who are legally beneficiaries of those programs.”

He explained that efforts are underway to clean up the system, focusing on removing ineligible recipients, particularly able-bodied adults who are not supposed to be using Medicaid services. “At the same time, we have to root out fraud, waste and abuse,” Johnson said. “We have to eliminate, on Medicaid for example, people who are not actually eligible to be there able-bodied workers, for example, young men, who should never be on the program at all.”

He added that continuing to allow ineligible individuals to remain in the system weakens support for the most vulnerable. “When you have people on the program that are draining the resources, it takes it away from the people that are actually needing it the most young single mothers, people with real disabilities, the elderly,” he said.

The comments come on the heels of the House Republican vote last Thursday to adopt the Senate’s framework that would fast-track President Trump’s policy agenda. As part of that plan, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has been tasked with identifying $880 billion in spending reductions prompting immediate pushback from Democrats and even some Republicans concerned about the potential scale of Medicaid cuts.

Representative Nicole Malliotakis of New York voiced her concerns ahead of the vote, stressing the need to protect core services. “We just wanted to be clear, again, with the Speaker, as we’ve had numerous times before, that we will not vote for something that strips benefits from seniors and our vulnerable population that rely on traditional Medicaid services,” she said.

Johnson’s remarks signal that Medicaid reform is likely to remain a key priority for Republicans as they move forward with budgetary changes, particularly those designed to rein in federal spending while maintaining support for Trump’s legislative initiatives.