Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday afternoon advanced legislation containing cuts to Medicaid and health care provisions — some of the most controversial and

WASHINGTON – House Republicans defended a bill that would enact sweeping tax cuts, raise the debt ceiling, and add restrictions to benefit programs during a heated marathon day of committee hearings on Capitol Hill.

House Republicans are plowing ahead Tuesday to advance key components of their bill to fund President Donald Trump’s agenda -- including taxes and Medicaid cuts -- even as they remain at odds over several critical issues.

This bill is not going to become law in its current form, not least because President Trump won’t sign it,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told CNN Wednesday.

Fiscal hawks are lashing out over what they say are the lack of Medicaid reforms in President Trump’s legislative package, which could thwart the House GOP’s goal of passing the legislation next

Republican lawmakers are calling for work requirements, stricter eligibility verification and some co-pays.

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House Republicans' plan to slash $715 billion in Medicaid funding would create more hurdles for recipients to jump through and leave states with a big hole in their health care budgets.

Gov. Josh Shapiro is warning that cuts to Medicaid health care that Congress is considering would mean billions of dollars in lost federal aid to Pennsylvania, hundreds of thousands of people losing access to the program and more rural hospitals shutting their doors.

Looming cuts to Medicaid are much greater, with the federal Congressional Budget Office projecting this week that some 8.6 million Americans could lose Medicaid coverage in the coming decade with at least another 5.1 million losing expanded Affordable Care Act Medicaid coverage due to new restrictions, including work requirements.

WASHINGTON – House Republicans plan to enact work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks for Medicaid, according to a proposal released late on May 11 by a key GOP-led committee.