In mid-February, House Republicans narrowly passed a budget framework that is expected to slash the Medicaid budget in order to provide tax cuts. Republic Congressman Jeff Hurd, representing Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, was among those who voted in favor of the measure. While President Donald Trump previously said he wouldn’t touch mandatory social programs, he approved this budget plan that includes renewing his 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year.
In a recent virtual town hall, Hurd voiced support for Medicaid, with some caveats.
“I do support looking at something like work requirements,” he said. “But certainly we need to account for individual circumstances, when it comes to students and others who are in a position where they may not be able to work as much as others, who are otherwise able-bodied and able to work.”
Work requirements — requiring beneficiaries ages 18 to 64 to prove they are working 80 hours a month, or 20 hours per week, for example — are a popular talking point among House Republicans as lawmakers look for ways to whittle down the budget. Polly Anderson with the Colorado Community Health Network argued they’re an unnecessary barrier to care.
“It’s important to know that an estimated 93% of patients on Medicaid who can work already do, and work requirements are really just a way to make it more complicated for people to access the benefits and get caught up in some red tape and lose coverage,” Anderson said.
At 30% in 2024, the 3rd Congressional District has the most medicaid enrollments by percentage of its total population. Statewide, about 1.2 million people rely on this federal healthcare program. If Congress were to cut the Medicaid budget, Colorado could lose 14,000 jobs and more than $1 billion according to a report from the Commonwealth Fund and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Hurd said he supports Medicaid access for those who need it, but when speaking with constituents he said the current system may not be equitable. “I’m not sure that Colorado is necessarily getting a fair deal,” he told listeners. “If you look at the amount of dollars, Medicaid dollars, per person per capita that come to a state like California, they’re getting way more than a state like Colorado. It seems to me like we should have a more fair allocation of those Medicaid dollars and make sure that we spend them effectively.”
While it’s true that Colorado’s Medicaid spending is much lower than California’s, it’s important to note that California is facing a Medicaid funding deficit of about $6.2 billion. While his vote would likely impact the Medicaid budget for his constituents and the rest of the country, Hurd said coverage for those in need is of great importance to him.
“I am committed to making sure that those who need Medicaid the most —- the poor, the working, poor mothers, pregnant women [and] children —- have access to that critical safety net. That is why Medicaid was put in place, to protect the most vulnerable,” he stated. “Making sure that we effectively use Medicaid [and] protect those who most need it is a top priority for me.”
The House’s budget instructs the Energy and Commerce Committee to find $880 billion in cuts over the next 10 years, and Medicaid is expected to take the biggest hit. House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that this is the biggest proposed Medicaid cut in history. The White House argues that cuts will eliminate fraud and waste by cracking down on improper payments and entitlement programs without affecting Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits.
NPR reports there were multiple holdouts among moderate Republicans, but only one Republican representative from Kentucky voted against the budget. Frustrated with the delay, the Senate passed a competing budget resolution including $175 billion for border security and $150 billion in military spending.