WILKES-BARRE — U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser and U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan Jr. agreed on Thursday that the budget resolution that narrowly passed the House on Tuesday did not cut anything from Medicaid or Medicare.
“Anyone who claims otherwise is factually wrong,” said Meuser, R-Dallas. “All this resolution did was create a framework to allow the individual House Committees to begin drafting their sections of the reconciliation bill.”
Meuser said the budget resolution passed this week sets the stage for President Donald Trump’s reconciliation bill.
“This bill is going to deliver dominant energy policy, border security — putting an end to human trafficking and rampant drug flow — and the bill will continue the tax relief that gave us a great and strong economy,” Meuser said. “It’s also providing savings to the American people by rooting out waste, abuse and fraud.”
Meuser reiterated that Medicare and Medicaid would not be slashed once the final budget is passed.
“That is absolutely not true — it is a false claim — no Medicaid or Medicare benefits will be reduced,” Meuser said. “The only reductions will be to waste, abuse, fraud and ineligibility within the system if found — which I believe 98% of Americans support.”
Meuser said the country is overspending by nearly $2 trillion a year.
“And clearly, any business, any company, any family, any government, with such a spending problem must make corrections — which is what we’re doing — which is what President Trump said he would do,” Meuser said. “This resolution will help usher in a new Golden Age in America, and I’m happy to have supported it.”
The Associated Press reported that House Republicans sent a GOP budget blueprint to passage, with $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts despite a wall of opposition from Democrats and discomfort among Republicans.
The AP story said House Speaker Mike Johnson had almost no votes to spare in his bare-bones GOP majority and fought on all fronts — against Democrats, uneasy rank-and-file Republicans and skeptical GOP senators — to advance the party’s signature legislative package. Trump made calls to wayward GOP lawmakers and invited Republicans to the White House.
The vote was 217-215, with a single Republican and all Democrats opposed, and the outcome was in jeopardy until the gavel.
Rep. Bresnahan clarifies his vote
“If I am presented with a bill that is going to gut Medicaid benefits to the people that legally deserve them, I am ready to cast a resounding no vote,” said Rep. Bresnahan, R-Dallas Township. “I am okay with taking a tough vote to protect the people of NEPA.”
Bresnahan said the resolution that was voted on has begun the process of preventing the largest tax increase on working-class families in American history. It does not mention the Medicaid program once.
“I spoke with Speaker Johnson and leadership earlier this week, and I am prepared to make my priorities known throughout this process,” Bresnahan said. “Tuesday night’s vote was just a procedural step to start federal budget negotiations and does not change any current laws. I will fight to protect working-class families in Northeastern Pennsylvania and stand with President Trump in opposing gutting Medicaid. My position on this has not and will not change.”