Republicans challenge Johnson to overhaul 'big beautiful bill'

Conservative Republicans in the US House of Representatives want House Speaker Mike Johnson to make major changes to Medicaid and more spending cuts before they vote for President Donald Trump's “one big, beautiful bill.”

- Eric Garcia, The Independent

The House Budget Committee is set to vote on the bill on Friday, which would tee it up for a floor vote before it goes to the US Senate. But conservatives, particularly those in the hardline House Freedom Caucus, do not believe that the bill goes far enough in spending cuts.

As it stands now, the legislation would require that able-bodied adults without dependents would need to either work, engage in community service or an education program for at 80 hours a week to qualify for Medicaid. The House Energy and Commerce Committee, which handles health care, marked up its part of the legislation starting Tuesday and well into Wednesday despite protests from disability rights activists that it would cause them to lose access to health care.

Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who sits on the Budget Committee, wants to see major changes to the bill and specifically criticised the fact that work requirements would not go into effect until 2029.

“The Medicaid work requirements starting in 2029 is absurd,” he told The Independent.