Senate Republican leadership claims they’re inching closer to a deal on the party’s massive reconciliation package. But on the issue of Medicaid cuts versus spending levels, the conference seems to be pretty far apart.
There are two main factions among Senate Republicans whose entire goals are at odds with each other. There are those, like Sens. Josh Hawley, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and more, who are against a number of cuts to Medicaid included in the House-passed bill,
Then there are the deficit hawks, like Sens. Ron Johnson, Rand Paul, Rick Scott and Mike Lee, who are demanding steeper cuts to spending, with Medicaid squarely on the chopping block.