Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA01) Says He is “Pleased” With Bill that Could Kick Hundreds of Thousands of Virginians Off Medicaid

From DPVA; the fact is, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA01; cover image by Cher Muzyk) was never NOT going to do whatever he was told to do by Donald Trump, Mike Johnson, etc.

Congressman Rob Wittman Says He is “Pleased” With Bill that Could Kick Hundreds of Thousands of Virginians Off Medicaid

In new reporting from the Virginia Mercury, Virginia Republican Rob Wittman (VA-01) doubled down on his support of the largest cuts to Medicaid and food assistance in U.S. history after claiming that he would not support a bill that threatens “children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and pregnant women.”

As Cardinal News reported, at least 500,000 Virginians are at risk of being kicked off Medicaid or seeing higher co-payments and out-of-pocket costs if this version of the bill passes.

“You can’t claim to protect children, seniors, and people with disabilities while vowing your support for the largest Medicaid cuts in U.S. history. That’s not leadership — that’s lying,” said DPVA Communications Director Kelsey Carolan. “Wittman is turning his back on hundreds of thousands of Virginians who rely on Medicaid just to score political points in Washington.”

• “Some Republican members of Virginia’s congressional delegation expressed satisfaction Thursday about being able to advance Trump’s agenda without altering the funding formula for Virginia’s federal Medicaid allocation.”
• “U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland, said that he’s ‘pleased to see Virginia’s vulnerable populations protected in the Medicaid portion of the reconciliation bill and no change to the federal match rate.'”
• “However, an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office shared with States Newsroom shows that the Medicaid changes would cut $625 billion in federal spending over the next decade. About 10.3 million people would lose access to Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, with 7.6 million people becoming uninsured during that 10-year budget window.”
• “After fielding constituents’ concerns about the federal cuts for months, Wittman publicly cautioned his colleagues in April, co-signing a letter to Congressional leadership emphasizing protection of “children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and pregnant women who rely on Medicaid for their health and economic security.'”
• “He added Thursday that trimming or eliminating other aspects of the program will ensure that it is ‘a sustainable program for years to come.'”