River Bend Times

Today, Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon issued a statement regarding the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) recent analysis. The report indicates that Republican budget objectives cannot be met without significant cuts to Medicaid.

"Republicans are claiming that their disaster of a budget won’t cut Medicaid. But today the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed that the Republicans’ budget will require gutting Medicaid," stated Merkley. He emphasized the potential impact on vulnerable groups, including veterans, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, particularly in rural areas.

Merkley criticized Congressional Republicans for prioritizing financial gains for billionaires over healthcare access for millions. "That’s the Republican plan: families lose, billionaires win, and I’m going to fight this tooth and nail in the Senate," he added.

The House-approved budget resolution seeks a $880 billion deficit reduction over ten years through directives to the House Energy & Commerce Committee. However, according to CBO's findings, only $135 billion in savings is achievable if all programs except Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP are eliminated. Achieving such savings without affecting these major programs is deemed impossible by the analysis.