U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., left, listens as Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, speaks to reporters outside of the West Wing of the White House on June 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C. after a meeting with President Donald Trump. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans suffered a significant setback Thursday when the parliamentarian ruled several changes to Medicaid in the “big, beautiful bill” don’t comply with the complex rules for moving a reconciliation package — which means billions of dollars in savings are no longer available for the GOP to offset the cost of tax cuts.
Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, must rework or completely eliminate nine changes the committee proposed to the health care programs, though more of the panel’s proposals are still under review.
Republicans can no longer reduce the amount of federal matching funds for state governments that use their own tax dollars to provide Medicaid coverage for immigrants in the country without proper documentation.
The GOP bill cannot bar gender-affirming care for Medicaid patients.
And Republicans need to change or scrap a proposal to reduce states’ Medicaid provider tax credits, an issue that is relatively in the weeds of health care policy but has sharply divided the GOP and drawn fierce opposition from states.
The changes or eliminations will have a major impact on how much in savings the GOP tax and spending cut bill will generate during the next decade and will likely make the overall package’s deficit impact higher than before. The legislation is intended to extend the 2017 tax cuts and make spending reductions.
The ruling might make it more difficult for President Donald Trump and GOP leaders in Congress to get the votes needed to pass the bill at all, let alone before their self-imposed Fourth of July timeline. Senate GOP leaders had said they wanted to begin procedural votes as soon as Friday.
The measure already had been stuck on Wednesday amid growing disputes over how Medicaid changes will impact rural hospitals and far more.
Senate Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., who released the parliamentarian’s rulings, wrote in a statement that Democrats will continue to advocate for removing dozens of proposals from the bill that they believe don’t meet reconciliation rules.
“Republicans are scrambling to rewrite parts of this bill to continue advancing their families lose, and billionaires win agenda, but Democrats stand ready to fully scrutinize any changes and ensure the Byrd Rule is enforced,” Merkley wrote.
Crapo’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from States Newsroom.
Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., wrote in a statement that the parliamentarian’s ruling will lead to “more than $250 billion in health care cuts removed from the Republicans’ big bad bill.
“Democrats fought and won, striking health care cuts from this bill that would hurt Americans’ walking on an economic tightrope. This bill is rotten to its core, and I’ll keep fighting the cuts in this morally bankrupt bill until the end.”
The parliamentarian is still deciding whether several health provisions meet reconciliation rules, including language that would block all Medicaid funding from going to Planned Parenthood, effectively blocking Medicaid patients from visiting the organization for routine health services.
Federal law already bars funding for abortions with exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the pregnant patient.
The parliamentarian will also decide later whether Republicans’ bill can block the Department of Health and Human Services from implementing a Biden-era rule that would require nursing homes to have a nurse working 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( US Senate GOP mega-bill suffers major blow with ruling on Medicaid cuts )
Also on site :
- Deaths reported during protests in Kenya (VIDEO)
- Man accused of pointing gun at troopers during I-90 standoff set to be arraigned
- Amazon Is Selling 'Very Pretty' $40 Vera Bradley Wristlets for Just $11, and Shoppers Say They’re the 'Perfect Size'