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house rules committee
GOP Plows Ahead With Budget That Would Slash Medicaid, Food Benefits for Millions
"In this bill, Republicans are saying the quiet part out loud: Billionaires, big companies, and special interests not only deserve a tax break, but that it should be paid for by everyday Americans."
Feb 25, 2025
Republicans on the House Rules Committee voted late Monday to advance a budget resolution that, if translated into law, would enact painful cuts to Medicaid and federal nutrition assistance, potentially stripping critical benefits from tens of millions of low-income Americans to help fund trillions of dollars in tax giveaways that would flow primarily to the rich.
The rules panel voted 9-4 along party lines in favor of the budget blueprint, setting the stage for a House floor debate and vote as soon as Tuesday evening.
While some House Republicans have publicly and privately voiced concerns about the scale of the Medicaid cuts proposed in the budget resolution, GOP members of the rules panel on Monday rejected Democratic amendments aimed at preventing cuts to the healthcare program as well as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other spending.
"Republicans can't have it both ways—they can't claim to stand up for their constituents on SNAP and Medicaid and then reject amendments that would do just that," said Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I.), who sponsored the proposed changes. "My common-sense amendments would have supported these two key programs that feed hungry children and care for sick Americans. Democrats provided Republicans with several chances to stand with the many instead of the rich. They declined multiple times. I'll continue to pull out every stop as I seek to prevent these cuts from becoming reality."
"Put simply: the bill is a betrayal of the promise that every Republican made just months ago to lower costs."
Monday's committee vote came after a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) analysis found that the SNAP cuts proposed by the House GOP resolution "would result in widespread harm," potentially taking benefits from "more than 9 million low-income people in an average month."
"Deep SNAP cuts would worsen food insecurity, hurt local businesses, and weaken SNAP's ability to boost jobs in every state.SNAP is highly effective at reducing food insecurity and poverty, and research links SNAP participation to better health outcomes and lower healthcare costs," CBPP noted. "Regardless of how lawmakers impose $230 billion or more in cuts to SNAP, these cuts would make it harder for low-income families in every state to afford groceries, worsening food insecurity and hardship. Slashing low-income households' grocery budgets would also reduce revenue for thousands of businesses in every state, with ripple effects throughout the food supply chain."
CBPP previously estimated that House Republicans' plans for Medicaid—specifically their push to impose work requirements—could put 36 million Americans at risk of losing health coverage.
The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) separately found that if the House GOP's proposal for $880 billion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade becomes reality, it would "reduce incomes for the bottom 40% more than extending the [Trump tax cuts] would boost them—and the lowest-income households would fare the worst."
"Strikingly, this is true even as the full $880 billion in Medicaid cuts would only pay for about 20% of the total cost of the [Tax Cuts and Jobs Act]—other cuts and economic damage falling on non-rich families stemming from tax cuts for the rich would still be forthcoming," EPI's Josh Bivens wrote last week. "Meanwhile, the TCJA boosts the incomes of the top 1% significantly, while these households do not rely in any way on Medicaid."
Democrats are expected to unanimously oppose the House Republican budget resolution, leaving Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) with extremely narrow margins to pass the measure and move ahead with President Donald Trump's legislative agenda. Trump has endorsed the House resolution, despite claiming to oppose cuts to Medicaid.
House Republicans must also reconcile major differences with their Senate colleagues, who want to advance Trump's agenda in separate, smaller bills rather than one sprawling measure.
"The bill House Republicans are bringing forward tomorrow is a gift to Trump's billionaire donors paid for by hard-working Americans who are already feeling the heat from high prices in Donald Trump's America," Tony Carrk, executive director of the watchdog group Accountable.US, said in a statement Monday. "In this bill, Republicans are saying the quiet part out loud: Billionaires, big companies, and special interests not only deserve a tax break, but that it should be paid for by everyday Americans."
"For far too many Americans, this bill will only increase their everyday costs, from their healthcare to their groceries," Carrk added. "Put simply: the bill is a betrayal of the promise that every Republican made just months ago to lower costs."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), a senior whip for the House Democratic caucus, wrote in a social media post on Monday that she will not "vote for a budget that gives tax breaks to billionaires and cuts critical programs for working families—including healthcare and education."
"I will be a NO on the Republican budget resolution this week," Jayapal added.
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'The American People Did Not Vote for Whatever the Hell This Is,' Warns House Democrat
Rep. Jim McGovern said the House GOP's rules package offers "the clearest window yet into their agenda for the next two years."
Jan 02, 2025
Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern said Wednesday that the House GOP's newly released rules package for the incoming Congress shows that Republicans are "doubling down on their extremism" by moving to further diminish the power of the minority party and paving the way for a legislative agenda that rewards billionaires and large corporations.
McGovern (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, said in a statement that the GOP's proposed changes "would, for the first time in American history, shield the speaker from accountability to the entire chamber by making it so that only Republicans can move to oust the speaker."
The provision in question states that a resolution to vacate the House speakership "shall not be privileged except if it is offered by a member of the majority party and has accumulated eight cosponsors from the majority party at the time it is offered." Axiosnoted that "for most of U.S. history, any singular House member in either party has been able to introduce a motion to vacate."
The new GOP rules package for the 119th Congress would also set the stage for fast-tracked consideration of a dozen Republican bills, including a measure to sanction the International Criminal Court and prohibit any moratorium on fracking.
Under the proposed rules, neither party would be allowed to offer amendments to the 12 bills.
In his statement Wednesday, McGovern said that the Republican bills offer "the clearest window yet into their agenda for the next two years."
"Here's what I see: Nothing to help workers. Nothing to bring down grocery prices. Nothing to lower rent or make housing more affordable. Silent on inflation and healthcare costs. Next to nothing on jobs and the economy," said McGovern. "Instead, I have no doubt they'll find time to pass tax breaks for billionaires and massive corporations at the expense of everyday Americans."
The Washington Postreported Thursday that Republicans intend to offset the massive cost of their proposed tax cut package by slashing federal nutrition assistance, imposing work requirements on Medicaid recipients, and blocking a rule that would require Medicare and Medicaid to cover anti-obesity medications, among other changes.
"The American people did not vote for whatever the hell this is," McGovern added, "and you better believe that Democrats will not let Republicans turn the House of Representatives into a rubber stamp for their extremist policies."
The GOP's proposed rules package will receive a vote in the House once a speaker is chosen—which could happen as soon as Friday. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), backed by President-elect Donald Trump, is running for reelection for the leadership post, but he has very slim margins and at least one Republican opponent—Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).
As The American Prospect's David Dayen wrote Thursday, "One problem for Republicans is that they only have three days to get the Speaker in place before January 6, when the presidential electors are confirmed by Congress, rolls around."
"The typical scenario for the House is that they must select a speaker first, and only move forward afterward. Members-elect aren't even sworn in as members of the House until there's a speaker," Dayen added. "The signs of another dysfunctional two years in Congress are all around. That doesn't completely nullify what Trump can do—much of his agenda, like mass deportations and tariffs, will be carried out mostly unilaterally—but it does mean that a unified Democratic Party could make things very difficult for Republicans. Someone should tell that to Democrats!"
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'Playing Political Games,' GOP Tees Up Vote on Biden Impeachment Probe
The House Rules Committee ranking member said that "Americans will see that this impeachment sham is a national disgrace, designed by extreme Republicans to distract from their incompetence and help Donald Trump."
Dec 12, 2023
Republicans on the U.S. House Rules Committee voted 9-4 Tuesday to advance a resolution that would formalize the GOP's ongoing impeachment inquiry into Democratic President Joe Biden.
House Resolution 918, introduced last week by Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), directs the chamber's Oversight and Accountability, Ways and Means, and Judiciary committees to continue ongoing probes of alleged misconduct by the president related to his son Hunter Biden's business dealings and legal issues.
Although the GOP has failed to uncover any proof of presdential misconduct—which some Republican lawmakers are openly admitting—party leadership is plowing ahead. According toThe Hill, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said that a floor vote on the resolution is expected Wednesday.
"Rather than tackling the real issues facing the American people, Republicans are playing political games with our nation's most serious checks and balances."
"Let's be clear: This impeachment inquiry is nothing more than a political stunt, and it sets a terrible precedent for our democracy," Sean Eldridge, founder and president of the progressive group Stand Up America, said in a statement after the committee vote.
"Despite months of posturing, House Republicans haven't provided a shred of evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden," he stressed. "Rather than tackling the real issues facing the American people, Republicans are playing political games with our nation's most serious checks and balances."
Eldridge added that "members of the House of Representatives still have a chance to do the right thing and vote against this sham inquiry when it hits the House floor. Voters will be watching to see if their representatives put political stunts ahead of the American people."
The president is seeking reelection next year. The GOP's current 2024 front-runner is former President Donald Trump, who after the 2020 election led an unsuccessful effort to prevent the peaceful transfer of power despite his loss to Biden.
House Rules Committee Ranking Member Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) declared Tuesday that "Americans will see that this impeachment sham is a national disgrace, designed by extreme Republicans to distract from their incompetence and help Donald Trump. This is about vengeance, retaliation, distraction, and denial."
After Armstrong unveiled his resolution last week, House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) similarly charged that "everyone knows that the floundering Biden impeachment probe is designed to give Donald Trump something to say when it's pointed out he has been twice impeached and is a proven fraudster, sexual assailant, and defamer of women who now faces 91 felony charges in federal and state court."
NBC Newsreported Tuesday that Michael Tyler, the Biden campaign's communications director, also pushed back against the impeachment inquiry in a new memo, pointing to Trump's remark last week that he would be a dictator only on "day one."
"The only branch of government MAGA Republicans control is following through on Donald Trump's promise to use the levers of government to enact political retribution on his enemies," Tyler said. "You know, like the followers of a dictator."
"Instead of trying to deliver results for the American people," he added, "Trump's MAGA followers in the House are using their power to pursue an evidence-free impeachment sham all to help Trump's 2024 campaign."
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