The continuing discussion around Medicare and Medicaid cuts in the context of a continuing resolution (CR) has been a focal point of contention between Democrats and Republicans, particularly as federal funding deadlines loom. The Democrats have been vocal about potential cuts tied to broader budgetary maneuvers, including a CR proposed to avoid a government shutdown by March 14, 2025. Below is an analysis of the Medicare and Medicaid cuts in the CR that Democrats are calling out, based on the current political landscape and available information.
Context of the Continuing Resolution
A continuing resolution is a temporary funding measure to keep the government operational when Congress cannot agree on a full budget or appropriations bills by the fiscal deadline. The current CR, funding the government through March 14, 2025, was set to expire, prompting House Republicans to unveil a new stopgap bill over the weekend of March 8–9, 2025. This CR, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and supported by President Donald Trump, aims to extend funding through September 30, 2025, avoiding a shutdown before the March 14 deadline.
Unlike the House Republican budget resolution passed on February 25, 2025—which explicitly directed the Energy and Commerce Committee to find $880 billion in savings, widely understood to target Medicaid—the CR itself does not propose new, specific cuts to Medicare or Medicaid. Instead, it maintains current funding levels, a point emphasized by Republicans like Representative Tom Cole (R-OK), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, who described it as a “straightforward” extension without “poison pills or unrelated riders.” However, Democrats are calling out the CR not for direct cuts within its text, but for its role in a larger Republican strategy they argue sets the stage for future reductions to these programs.
Medicare and Medicaid Cuts Democrats Are Highlighting
Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), have framed their critique around the interplay between the CR and the earlier budget resolution, accusing Republicans of masking an agenda to slash Medicare and Medicaid.
Here’s what they’re calling out:
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No Explicit Cuts in the CR, but a Perceived Trojan Horse:
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The CR itself, as reported by Newsweek on March 10, 2025, does not reduce Medicare or Medicaid funding directly. Financial experts like Kevin Thompson of 9i Capital Group and Alex Beene of the University of Tennessee at Martin have noted that it “maintains critical services” and would have “minimal effects” on benefits, preserving current levels from the last fiscal year. However, Democrats argue it’s a deceptive pause, allowing Republicans to buy time to push a reconciliation bill later in 2025 that would enact the $880 billion in cuts outlined in the February budget resolution.
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Jeffries has warned that Republicans are using the CR to avoid immediate accountability ahead of a shutdown, only to advance a “slash and burn” approach to Medicaid and veterans’ benefits later. He ties this to the budget resolution’s directive to the Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees both programs, asserting that the CR’s “clean” appearance belies a long-term threat.
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Link to the $880 Billion Budget Resolution Cuts:
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The House budget resolution (H Con Res 14), passed 217-215 on February 25, 2025, instructs the Energy and Commerce Committee to cut $880 billion over a decade from programs under its jurisdiction, primarily Medicare and Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirmed on March 6, 2025, that achieving this target is mathematically impossible without significant reductions to one or both programs, given their combined $8.8 trillion in projected spending over 10 years (Medicaid at $8.2 trillion federally, Medicare at $15.8 trillion). With Trump and GOP leaders like Johnson ruling out Medicare cuts, Medicaid—serving nearly 80 million Americans—becomes the likely target.
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Democrats, including Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ) of the Energy and Commerce Committee, have seized on this, arguing that the CR’s extension of current funding is a stalling tactic. They claim Republicans aim to pass a reconciliation bill post-CR that would execute these cuts, potentially through measures like work requirements, reduced federal matching rates (FMAP), or block grants—ideas floated by the House Budget Committee earlier in 2025.
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Political Messaging Around Medicaid:
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Democrats assert that the CR’s lack of immediate cuts is a rhetorical dodge, echoing House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s (R-LA) February 25 claim that “the word Medicaid isn’t even in” the budget resolution. Posts on X and analyses from outlets like FactCheck.org note that while technically true, the $880 billion target implicitly hits Medicaid, as it’s the largest adjustable program under the committee’s purview. Schumer has called the CR “partisan” and insufficiently protective, suggesting it fails to lock in guarantees against future Medicaid reductions, a concern heightened by Biden’s anticipatory pardons shielding officials who might face Trump-era probes into past health policy.
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The Medicare Rights Center and KFF have warned that any Medicaid cuts—whether delayed via the CR or enacted later—would harm over 7 million older adults and 12 million Medicare beneficiaries who rely on it for long-term care, a point Democrats amplify to portray the CR as a precursor to “devastating” impacts.
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Medicare Concerns Despite Trump’s Assurances:
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Trump has repeatedly promised not to touch Medicare, reiterated in a Fox News interview and a Truth Social post on March 8, 2025, urging Republicans to vote for the CR to “put the Country’s financial house in order.” Yet, Democrats highlight a disconnect: Johnson has suggested “rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse” in Medicaid (citing a $50.3 billion “improper payment rate” from CMS), but the CBO’s analysis implies that even if Medicare is spared, the scale of cuts might spill over. Representative Al Green (D-TX) interrupted Trump’s March 4 speech to Congress, yelling, “You have no mandate to cut Medicaid!”—a sentiment reflecting Democratic fears that Medicare’s sanctity could erode under budget pressure despite assurances.
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Contrast with Democratic Demands:
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Democrats have conditioned their support for the CR on bipartisan language preventing the White House from withholding congressionally approved funds, a nod to recent funding freezes and the influence of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). They argue this omission leaves Medicare and Medicaid vulnerable to administrative cuts outside legislative intent. Schumer’s March 10 statement emphasized that “only a bipartisan solution” suffices, implying the CR’s Republican-led design lacks safeguards against what Jeffries calls “the largest Medicaid cut in American history” via reconciliation.
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Broader Implications and Democratic Strategy
The Democrats’ critique hinges on a narrative of delayed harm rather than immediate cuts within the CR itself. They point to the budget resolution’s $2 trillion total mandatory spending reduction—including the $880 billion from Energy and Commerce—as evidence of intent, with Medicaid (10% of federal spending) and Medicare (a larger share) as inevitable targets absent other viable offsets. The Medicare Rights Center’s February 13 alert and KFF’s focus groups with Medicaid enrollees underscore public opposition to cuts, which Democrats wield to pressure the Senate, where the CR needs at least seven Democratic votes to pass the 60-vote threshold (Republicans hold 53 seats).
Republicans counter that the CR is a “clean” extension, with Johnson and Cole insisting it protects constituents and avoids disruptions like those feared from a shutdown. Trump’s March 8 Truth Social plea for a “YES” vote frames it as a stepping stone to broader fiscal goals, not a cut vehicle. Yet, Democrats, backed by hospital groups like America’s Essential Hospitals and advocates like Families USA, warn of “catastrophic” fallout—coverage losses, hospital shortfalls, and state budget strains—if the CR enables a later reconciliation bill.
Conclusion
As of March 11, 2025, the Medicare and Medicaid cuts Democrats are calling out in the CR are not explicit reductions in the bill itself, which maintains current funding through September 30, 2025. Instead, their criticism centers on the CR’s role as a bridge to a reconciliation process they believe will enact the $880 billion in cuts from the February budget resolution, disproportionately hitting Medicaid due to Medicare’s protected status. They highlight potential losses of $2 billion per congressional district (per the Center for American Progress) and up to 15.9 million enrollees (per the Urban Institute), framing the CR as a deceptive calm before a storm of health care retrenchment. Whether this strategy sways Senate Democrats or forces GOP concessions remains unresolved as the March 14 deadline nears.
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