House moderates, conservatives' dispute over Medicaid slows passage of Trump spending bill

House Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP leaders are working toward a compromise between moderates and conservatives over Medicaid in Trump's spending bill, to pass the measure before Memorial Day recess. 

The Republican House leadership on Tuesday made efforts to put moderates' fears to rest regarding changes to Medicaid, Politico reported.

“We’re coming up with options – we’re discussing them, hashing through them, debating them,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told reporters after a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. “They’ll come back with a revision.”

Legislators came together on implementing work requirements and stricter eligibility checks, such as once every six months as opposed to annually, and cracking down on Medicaid for non-citizens.

Johnson appeared to rule out making major cuts to funding for states that expanded Medicaid in his comments to reporters after the meeting. The cuts would have included per capita caps for the Medicaid expansion population under Obamacare.

“I think we’re ruling [per capita caps] out as well but stay tuned,” the Louisiana Republican said.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, pushed back on Johnson's view.

"Well - I haven’t ruled it out. It’s necessary to stop robbing from the vulnerable to fund the able-bodied," Roy posted on X on Tuesday.

"So - the GOP leadership position is to defend OBAMACARE policies… rejected (no expansion) by Texas, Florida, and states with 86 members of the @HouseGOP… & the expansion policies decidedly hurt the vulnerable (70% match) at the expense of the able-bodied expansion (90% match)," Roy added in a repost of his earlier comment.