(26 Feb 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
++BEGINS AND ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington – 26 February 2025
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Dick Durbin, (D) Illinois:
“I don’t think we’re ever going to accept cuts in critical programs to fund tax breaks for billionaires. Period. We found during the vote-a-rama in the last week or two when we asked the Republicans is there any limit to income people so rich they shouldn’t get a tax cut? The resounding answer over and over and over again was no. The wealthiest are going to get the tax cuts again under this proposal if the Republicans have their way.”
++BLACK FRAMES++
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Josh Hawley, (R) Missouri:
“I’m not going to vote for Medicaid cuts, benefit cuts. Work requirements, fine. But 21% of the residents of my state receive Medicaid or Chip. That’s a lot of people. It’s like 1.5 million people in Missouri. So, work requirements, sure, 100%. But anything that that slashes into benefits for people who are working. I’m not going to be for it. I think that’s probably true, a lot of my colleagues. But ultimately, I can only speak for myself.”
++BLACK FRAMES++
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. John Kennedy, (R) Louisiana:
“I’m not worried about people losing their healthcare. I think that we’ll be able to figure out a way so that we can do it and do it more efficiently.”
++BLACK FRAMES++
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Thom Tillis, (R) North Carolina:
“I’ve got a perspective on Medicaid that comes from being Speaker in North Carolina for four years. Every one of these programs are different. And so, when we talk about moving and cutting, we need to talk about how we do that in an orderly fashion. And I just need to look at what the proposals are. If you just do it cold turkey, there’s going to be a lot of unintended consequences that our members need to think through, whether it’s a red state or blue state.”
++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++
STORYLINE:
House Republicans muscled their budget blueprint to passage late Tuesday evening, with a push from President Donald Trump.
The vote is a crucial step toward delivering what he’s called his “big, beautiful bill,” with $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts.
It kickstarts a weeks-long process to draft the details and merge it with the Senate’s package.
On Capitol Hill Wednesday, Senators grappled with potential cuts to Medicaid and other social programs that could affect their constituents.
Sen. Dick Durbin, (D) Illinois, says the Democrats would never accept cuts to critical programs.
“I don’t think we’re ever going to accept cuts in critical programs to fund tax breaks for billionaires. Period. We found during the vote-a-rama in the last week or two when we asked the Republicans is there any limit to income people so rich they shouldn’t get a tax cut? The resounding answer over and over and over again was no,” Durbin said.
Republicans were also wrestling with the idea of cuts.
“I’m not going to vote for Medicaid cuts, benefit cuts. Work requirements, fine. But 21% of the residents of my state receive Medicaid or Chip. That’s a lot of people. It’s like 1.5 million people in Missouri. So, work requirements, sure, 100%,” Sen. Josh Hawley, (R) Missouri said.
Sen. Thom Tillis, (R) North Carolina, says he has a certain perspective on Medicaid that comes from being Speaker in North Carolina.
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