House committee passes tax cut plan
Other teams discussing changes to Medicaid, food stamp program
By: Riley Beggin
USA Today
..... House Republicans advanced elements of President Donald Trump's sweeping budget package on May 14 [2025] after a debate that lasted through the night, as a key committee voted along party lines to approve tax cuts that would add trillions of dollars to the national debt.
.....
The 26-19 vote by the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee amounts to an initial victory for Republicans, who still have many hurdles to clear before they can get the package of tax cuts, spending hikes and safety-net reductions to Trump's desk to sign into law.
..... The vote came after an all-night debate that saw at lest one lawmaker fall asleep at his post. Multiple news outlets identified the lawmaker as Representative Blake Moore, R-Utah.
..... Republicans rejected a series of proposed changes by Democrats, who blasted the bill as a wasteful giveaway to the wealthy that would shred helaht and food benefits for the poor and worsen the nation's financial standing.
..... "So here we are, one big beautiful tax cut for billionaires. The Republican pathology with tax cuts for wealthy people continues," said Representative Richard Neal, D-Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the committee.
..... The bill would make the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, increase the standard deduction, increase the child tax credit, temporarily create a tax deduction for tips and overtime through 2028, and implement an additional $4,000 tax deduction for seniors, among other proposals.
..... Republicans highlighted the provision in the bill that would help working class Americans. Representative Kevin Hern, R-Oklahoma, highlighted the likelihood that billionaires would not significantly benefit from the tax breaks on tipped income, overtime and the child tax credit.
.....
"While we're talking specifically here about the tax rate staying permanent, all these other provisions that we put in there that Pr3esident Rump has talked about taking that they're wanting to demagogue - these other ones do (direct) hundreds of billions of dollars to the lower end of the income scale that they don't want to allude to," he said.
Dozens of arrests
..... Meanwhile, the House Energy and Commerce committee was still debating a Republican proposal to tighten eligibility for the Medicaid health plan, which covers 71 million low-income Americans. That would save the federal government $715 billion and kick 7.7 million people off the program, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
..... As the hearing began, protesters began chanting: "No cuts to Medicaid!" They were escorted out of the hearing room and 26 people were arrested for "crowding, obstructing, and incommoding," according to Capitol Police.
..... Republican members argued that they are trying to eliminate waste and fraud from the system in order to protect it for those who really need it. among the changes would be work requirements for adults enrolled under the 2010 Medicaid expansion and more frequent eligibility checks.
..... "Medicaid was created to provide health care for Americans who otherwise could not support themselves, but Democrats expanded the program far beyond this core mission," said Representative Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, the committee chair.
.....
Democrats highlighted the stories of people on Medicaid who could lose coverage under the proposal. They argued that Republicans had produced a bill that would cut coverage, even though they have in the past claimed such cuts would not happen.
..... "For months, Republicans told the American people that their budget would not cut medicaid," said Representative Nanette Barragan, D-California. "That is not true. And today they continue to say it. Don't believe it."
..... Republicans said Democrats were the ones lying during the hearing by highlighting the stories of children and people with disabilities, which Republicans argued would not be impacted by the proposed changes. "I have a young daughter and if she was on Medicaid and we were at risk of taking that away from her, I would share that fear,' said Representative Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas. "The problem with this narrative is that there's no reason to have that fear."
Cuts to food stamps?
..... A third panel, the House Agriculture Committee, was due to resume May 14 [2025] to debate proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps, which provides food assistance to around 42 million Americans.
..... The Republican plan would implement new work requirements for people ages 55 to 64, requires states to provide more funding for the program for the first time, cap reimbursement to states for administrative costs, limit SNAP eligibility to citizens and lawful permanent residents, and prevent future president la administrations from increasing benefits without Congressional approval.
.....
Like with the changes to Medicaid, House Republicans argued that the proposal not only provides savings that can be used for Trump's tax cuts but also implements necessary reforms.
.... "Our reconciliation instructions provide the opportunity to restore integrity to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to make sure that this essential program works for the most vulnerable and functions as Congress intended," said Representative Glenn Thompson, R-Pennsylvania, chairman of the committee.
..... The proposal could force people off of the program as states may restrict their programs without the continued federal funding.
..... Democrats on the panel argued that the cuts would force low-income people to go hungry in order to benefit the wealthy through tax breaks. Representative Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, the committee's ranking member,s aid the average SNAP benefit is around $6 per day.
..... "And here's the deeper truth: Access to food is not a privilege," Craig said
..... Contributing: Reuters