Connecticut Treasurer Erick Russell was in Washington, D.C. this week amid a congressional scramble to pass a funding bill and keep the government open.
House Republicans passed a bill on Tuesday night, with one Republican and one Democrat voting outside party lines.
GOP leaders have said the budget won’t hurt Medicaid or Medicare. As House Speaker Mike Johnson points out, the budget document doesn't even feature the word “Medicaid.”
However, the document directs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to find $880 billion in cuts over the next 10 years — and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said that likely could not be done without cuts to Medicaid or Medicare.
Russell said those potential cuts could be devastating for the 800,000 people on Medicaid in Connecticut.
“These are some of the most vulnerable in our community. The elderly who are dependent on long-term care, young people in our state, children — and nearly half of the children born in Connecticut every year, their birth is covered by Medicaid.”
The Senate has until Friday to pass the bill. If all 53 GOP Senators vote yes, they’ll need eight Democrats to vote with them to avoid a filibuster.
If they don't pass the bill by Friday, the government shuts down.
