Reps. Kiggans, Wittman Vote YES on Biggest Cut to Medicaid in U.S. History as All Virginia Rs Vote for 14 Million Losing Health Care
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All Republicans in Virginia Congressional Delegation Vote in Favor of Biggest Cut to Medicaid in U.S. History, Bill Goes to Senate
🚩 $500 Billion in cuts to Medicaid, the largest in history
🚩 $260 Billion in cuts to food assistance ✂️ the largest cut to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in history ✂️
🚩 Requires states to share SNAP costs by 2028
🚩 Blocks Medicaid money going to Planned Parenthood health centers
🚩 No tax on tips is in the bill, but expires in 2028
🚩 HR. 1 would shift the financial burden to states
🚩 HR. 1 mandates work requirements and more paperwork to receive food assistance
Above: Reps. Wittman, Griffith and Kiggans and the headlines. Below: The Virginia delegation vote this morning on final passage.
After months of hiding from in-person town hall events and proclaiming that Medicaid wasn’t going to be cut, Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) could no longer hide their policy views on cutting billions of dollars in health care dollars for Americans. Reps. Kiggans and Wittman both voted in favor of the largest cut to Medicaid in U.S. history this morning.
Below: Historic moments in Virginia on the road to 630,000 getting health care after Medicaid expansion passed in 2018.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides health insurance to eligible low-income individuals and families - it serves low income adults and children.
In 2018 in Virginia, Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax cast a tie-breaking vote that would allow Gov. Ralph Northam to sign a Medicaid expansion bill that gave over 600,000 Virginians health care coverage. Senate Republicans Emmett Hanger and Jill Vogel joined Democrats in the expansion effort.
On April 17, 2025, Reps. Kiggans and Wittman were featured in the Richmond Times Dispatch in a story with the headline, 'Feeling heat': Wittman, Kiggans oppose cuts to Medicaid. The first paragraph of the RTD piece read:
“We cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations,” Reps. Kiggans and Wittman proclaimed in the letter they sent to House GOP leadership. The claim and the letter has now been proven to be nonsense.
The Trump budget that the House passed this morning will also force cuts to Medicare if enacted, according to CBO. Medicare is the federal health insurance program for Americans over age 65. It was signed into law in 1965 as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society programs.
In the dark of night on May 21 and into the early hours of May 22, 2025, Reps. Kiggans and Wittman, along with every other Republican in the Virginia congressional delegation, did what they’ve done so many votes in the past: They supported Trump’s agenda even though it will hurt Virginia and thousands of constituents in their districts.
Though Reps. Kiggans and Wittman have modeled their policy views as “moderate” the fact is they continue to fall in line behind MAGA policies as presented by President Trump and South African billionaire Elon Musk. The realignment of tax policy combined with cuts to the federal workforce have been a challenge for Virginia since Trump’s return to the White House. The vote by Reps. Kiggans and Wittman and other Republicans to enact a massive cut to Medicaid and food assistance (SNAP) has shown to be unpopular according to recent polling.
The legislation, HR. 1, is also expected to hurt rural hospitals who depend on Medicaid payments to operate, but Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), who represents parts of rural Virginia, also voted in favor of HR 1’s.
RELATED: Medicaid Cuts Would Devastate Rural Hospitals (Insurance Net, April 28, 2025)
Below: Comments after the Congressional Budget Office report on H.R. 1 on the largest cut to Medicaid in history. All Virginia Republicans voted for H.R. 1.
Above: Statement from Rep. Kiggans on her vote this morning on H.R. 1
Though Republicans in Congress are claiming that “fraud” is a factor no one has presented evidence it is. A newsletter sent out by Rep. Wittman on May 21 referred to waste and fraud but cited none as related to Medicaid.
Opportunities to ask Reps. Kiggans, Wittman, Griffith detailed questions on budget policy are all but non-existent in their districts as they are not hosting town halls. Democrats Bobby Scott, Don Beyer, Jennifer McClellan and Suhas Subramanyam have held several in person town hall events since January and taken questions from constituents on health care, cuts to the federal workforce and other issues. Reps. Kiggans, Wittman, Cline and Griffith have held no in person public town halls this year.
“Republicans have chosen to sell out their own constituents by approving massive cuts to Medicaid that will kick millions of hardworking people off their health insurance and take food out of the mouths of millions more — including hungry kids, seniors and veterans,” wrote Rep. Jennifer McClellan in a statement this morning (May 22, 2025).
“Over 4 million students are estimated to have their Pell Grants reduced or eliminated, over 18 million children are estimated to lose access to free school meals, and over 13 million people are set to lose their health care coverage,” wrote Rep. Bobby Scott in a statement after the vote on the budget early this morning.
NEW PODCAST - EP52 🎙️ Reps. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Jasmine Crockett (D-TX): Democrats Talk Media Strategy in the Fight to Save Health Care
Tribute to Connolly on House Floor, Funeral Set for Wednesday
Last night around 2 a.m. members of the U.S. House led by Rep. Bobby Scott and Rep. Rob Wittman paid tribute to Rep. Gerry Connolly. The popular congressman from Fairfax passed away on May 21, 2025 at 75 after a battle with cancer.
Busy Week on Capitol Hill as Realigning Budget is Considered
Photos from earlier this week as members voted and then went into several marathon debates in the House Rules Committee and on the House floor.
Above: Members of the Virginia delegation, including Reps. Scott, Subramanyam, Beyer and McGuire are seen after votes on May 20. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland takes questions from reporters after a vote on May 20.
Below: Laid off federal workers staged a sit-in on the U.S. Capitol steps on May 20. Rep. McClellan spoke to the group.
Podcast 50 🎙️ John Reid, History… and Blackmail? With attorney and former Gov. L. Doug Wilder’s campaign manager Paul Goldman
Can You Say Wealth Distribution: Taxes and the Trump Budget
Ashley Murray, States Newsroom: “The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the lowest-earning households in the United States would see incomes decrease 2% in 2027, moving to a 4% loss in 2033, as a result of spending cuts to nutrition assistance and Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income individuals and those with disabilities.
Above: This morning MSNBC / RELATED: HR1 BUDGET
The CBO projects resources would meanwhile increase by 4% for the highest-earning Americans in 2027, moving down to a 2% increase by 2033, according to the latest analysis.”
Dems Lieutenant Governor Debate. Tonight at 7pm
From the Historic Triangle Dems | Williamsburg| James City| York | Poquoson: WJLA-TV website or Facebook or YouTube. Early voting in primary continues Monday-Friday. Early voting in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General continues Monday through Friday. For more information about the candidates who are running, please visit our Elections page. For complete information on early vote locations and times, absentee voting, registration and more, take a look at our Vote page.
Tonight there's a debate with the six Lieutenant Governor candidates. Watch it livestreaming at 7 pm at the WJLA-TV website or Facebook page or on YouTube. The debate will be available for later viewing on these sites as well. Here's a link to a Roanoke forum held April 23 featuring five of the six Lieutenant Governor candidates.
Podcast 48 🎙️ Fergie Reid Jr., on the State of Play of Virginia House Races
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