HuffPost: Congressional Republicans Running for Governor Are Voting to Give Themselves Budget Crises

HuffPost: Congressional Republicans Running for Governor Are Voting to Give Themselves Budget Crises

A new report from HuffPost reveals how Republican members of Congress who are running for governor are voting to give the states they want to govern major budget crises by voting for Donald Trump's cuts to Medicaid and food assistance for millions of Americans.

According to HuffPost, "For a surprising number of GOP lawmakers, it could end up as their problem. Several House and Senate Republicans are running or considering running for governor, meaning they could wind up having to implement their own legislation."

Proposed cuts to federal funding for Medicaid and SNAP will shift massive costs to states, which all 23 Democratic governors warned "is simply inaccurate and impossible" to afford.

Interviewed by HuffPost, House Republicans running or considering a run for governor tied themselves even further to their harmful and unpopular vote to gut Medicaid.

• Dan Mueser said that Pennsylvania will "'do more with less.'"

• Randy Feenstra in Iowa said that he "'look[s] forward to seeing how this plays out.'"

• Byron Donalds in Florida said that "'every state is going to have to come to grips with this…states are going to have to pick up more and more of the dollars.'"

• Ralph Norman called South Carolina's potential budget cuts "'the best, most fun" and "'an honor'" to carry out.

DGA Communications Director Sam Newton told HuffPost: "The fact that Republicans in Congress are pushing these huge cuts to Medicaid is not only an issue for the Republicans voting for it, but it's going to be a vulnerability for every Republican candidate across the country who supports it."

Read more from HuffPost on how massive cuts to Medicaid and SNAP will be a major liability for Congressional Republicans running for governor:

• Republicans on Capitol Hill are drafting legislation that would cut federal funding for critical health and food safety programs, essentially asking the nation's 50 states to do more for the poor or show them the door.

• For a surprising number of GOP lawmakers, it could end up as their problem. Several House and Senate Republicans are running or considering running for governor, meaning they could wind up having to implement their own legislation.

• The bill would cut Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to offset part of the cost of trillions in tax cuts that especially benefit rich households. States would have less flexibility in how they finance their portion of Medicaid costs, and for the first time ever they might have to pick up part of the cost of SNAP benefits. The proposals were designed to encourage governors to kick people off the programs.

• The legislation is unpopular in recent polls, with majorities of voters either indifferent or hostile, and only 10% of voters favoring Medicaid cuts in a survey by Quinnipiac University.

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