Why Medicaid Is the Center of Debate Over Trump’s Spending Plan

Republicans say they’re only after fraud and inefficiencies. Democrats say the GOP aims to cut benefits for the most vulnerable.

Mike Johnson (R-La.), nominee for speaker of the House, speaks with other lawmakers during the first sitting of the 119th Congress in Washington on Jan. 3, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Medicaid, the medical coverage program for low-income Americans, finds itself at the center of a scrum between Republicans and Democrats as they haggle over funding President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda.

Republicans, aiming to improve government efficiency, are pushing to rid Medicaid of the fraud and waste they say are robbing the program and the 72 million Americans who depend on it for medical care.