GOP weighs health care moves to pay for Iran war
Source: msn/Axios
1h
Republicans are considering reductions in federal health spending to help pay for a budget bill containing as much as $200 billion to fund the Iran war and immigration enforcement.
Why it matters: New efforts to rein in health programs are sure to be controversial and open the GOP up to election-year attacks that they're cutting health care to pay for an unpopular war.
Driving the news: Top House Republicans are looking at health care offsets addressing fraud in federal programs, as they did during last year's debate over the budget law that made deep cuts to federal Medicaid spending and imposed first-time work requirements.
."There's other items we're looking at right now, especially in the areas of fraud and waste and abuse that we're working through with our members," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) told Axios
House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) is reviving an idea that was considered last year to fund Affordable Care Act payments known as cost-sharing reductions.
The Congressional Budget Office previously found the move would lower overall benchmark ACA premiums by 11% but result in 300,000 more uninsured people. It would have the effect of cutting the subsidy amount that some enrollees receive, thereby increasing out-of-pocket premium costs, while saving the government over $30 billion.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/gop-weighs-health-care-moves-to-pay-for-iran-war/ar-AA1ZIcxv
SamKnause
(14,896 posts)War mongering fascists Christian Nationalists.
LymphocyteLover
(9,839 posts)Joinfortmill
(21,153 posts)raccoon
(32,389 posts)The leopards are becoming chonkers.
enough
(13,759 posts)And get their war.
America last.
Irish_Dem
(81,221 posts)By any means possible.
IronLionZion
(51,262 posts)MAGA efficiency is deadly
Irish_Dem
(81,221 posts)They are ushering in the era of AI and robots.
No humans need apply.
IronLionZion
(51,262 posts)they got all the wrong lessons from COVID.
I miss the Biden era "nobody wants to work anymore"
OldBaldy1701E
(11,137 posts)Humans are necessary. The rich have tried for centuries to remove humans from their equation because humans expect to be compensated for their efforts. The rich cannot part with one cent of their wealth to help people (but they can easily part with loads of it for that twelfth mansion or that newest addition to the fleet of yachts), so they think that we can be replaced. And they are so sure of it that they are willing to allow as many of us to die due to greed and avarice as possible so that they don't have to part with one cent of that hoard that they possess.
The fact that they have managed to convince a portion of the population that this is a good idea is why I despair so much. Some of us are too fucking gullible.
TOO fucking gullible.
Irish_Dem
(81,221 posts)The rich are too greedy and stupid to understand this concept.
OldBaldy1701E
(11,137 posts)The irony of ironies is that they refuse to accept that we put them there.
They would not exist without the rest of us.
That is some sadistic shit right there....
Irish_Dem
(81,221 posts)Now they dont need us any more.
Mblaze
(1,030 posts)SergeStorms
(20,581 posts)that the fix is in for the midterm elections. They must know TrumpCo. has everything in place to keep entire control of our government, or why risk doing stupid shit like this in an election year?
niyad
(132,411 posts)Irish_Dem
(81,221 posts)Auggie
(33,145 posts)Joinfortmill
(21,153 posts)twodogsbarking
(18,773 posts)ck4829
(37,748 posts)Martin Eden
(15,622 posts)Last edited Mon Mar 30, 2026, 10:12 AM - Edit history (1)
Then saving even MORE money by stopping this insane war?
GiqueCee
(4,238 posts)... once again it must be noted that there is no bottom to the Republican cesspool of greed, malice and depravity. The room-temperature IQs that vote for these evil sociopaths deserve whatever horrible fate befalls them; the rest of us do not.
My hatred for these malevolent monsters burns hotter than the surface of the Sun. May they die in agony, alone and despised by everyone who ever even heard their names, the sooner the better.
They are willfully destroying our country, and they will never, EVER be forgiven.
C_U_L8R
(49,382 posts)Our best chance may be culling the Republican infestation in these mid-terms.
Bengus81
(10,161 posts)YOU too.
azureblue
(2,728 posts)And revert the tax breaks the GOP have been doling out to the top bracket earners for decades.. No - let's make the people who are struggling to make ends meet take the hit...
Joinfortmill
(21,153 posts)Ritabert
(2,444 posts)Also a per transaction tax on the stock market.
SamuelAdams
(33 posts)They chose not to eliminate tens of billions in fraud? Who will be dumb enough to buy that?
Historic NY
(40,036 posts)Bayard
(29,670 posts)We're already being bled dry.
City Lights
(25,819 posts)How about taxing the filthy billionaires?
bmichaelh
(1,179 posts)To some in the world, US Healthcare is a punch line.
Some call our Healthcare system the GoFundMe system.
I have been living with lymphoma for 35 years.
I am in my third remission and having maintenance treatments every 3 weeks.
My doctor thinks I will need treatment for rest of my life.
I have considered GoFundMe for myself.
popsdenver
(2,296 posts)Anyone remember, when Donnie Rumsfeld stood in front of everyone and said: The IRAQ war would only cost THREE Billion, and be over with in THREE days???????? Current accounting re: the IRAQ war has, to date, cost us TWO TRILLION DOLLARS and still counting......
Akakoji
(520 posts)To the billionaires keeps? This is so serious. Why isnt the medium go apeshit over this? Why arent we making sure that every GOP elected official has no peace during their break?
calimary
(89,999 posts)for as long as Ive been aware of Republicans.
Republicans dont want to help anybody.
Even more intensely, Republicans dont want to HAVE TO help anybody.
And thats about all anybody has to know about them.
Stargazer99
(3,517 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(179,782 posts)Trump said recently that Republicans can own health care as an issue. Absurd at the time, the comments are suddenly worse.
A new Gallup poll found that 61% of Americans are worried âa great dealâ about the cost/availability of health care, which should send a clear signal about the publicâs priorities.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-03-31T13:09:47.388Z
Itâs a signal Republicans appear ready to ignore â by cutting health care to pay for Iran.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/republicans-eye-health-care-cuts-to-pay-for-u-s-war-in-iran
Broadly speaking, members have three options. They could simply decline to approve the additional spending, as most Democrats and even some Republicans are prepared to do. They also have the choice of passing legislation to spend the $200 billion, adding the costs to the nations budget deficit, which tends to be how modern military conflicts have been financed.
The third option, however, is the one thats suddenly receiving the most attention: Lawmakers could approve the new spending, while cutting a comparable amount of existing spending to prevent a $200 billion increase in the deficit.
And where exactly would members find $200 billion? Axios reported:
Republicans are considering reductions in federal health spending to help pay for a budget bill containing as much as $200 billion to fund the Iran war and immigration enforcement.
New efforts to rein in health programs are sure to be controversial and open the GOP up to election-year attacks that theyre cutting health care to pay for an unpopular war.
....But that GOP officials are eyeing one unpopular idea (additional cuts to federal health care spending) to cover the costs of another unpopular idea (the ongoing war with Iran) is every bit as extraordinary as it appears. Whats more, that theyre considering these plans during an election year in which Republicans are already facing electoral headwinds looks an awful lot like political malpractice and an unexpected gift to Democrats.....
A new Gallup poll found that 61% of Americans are worried a great deal about the availability and affordability of health care. Thats the most of any issue (51% are worried a great deal about the economy, and 50% about inflation) and it should send an unmistakable signal to policymakers about the publics priorities.
With 31 weeks remaining before Election Day 2026, its a signal many Republicans appear ready to ignore.