One of the progressive activist groups that was instrumental in organizing to defeat Trumpcare is now taking on Individual 1 and his supporters in Congress for the cuts to Medicare and Medicaid in this year's White House budget. Protect Our Care is starting a cable TV and online campaign pointing out Trump's campaign lie that he wouldn't cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
The five-figure ad buy is against four Republican senators up for re-election in 2020—Susan Collins (ME), Martha McSally (AZ), Cory Gardner (CO), and Thom Tillis (NC)—and six House Republicans in potential swing districts. "Trump is turning his back on seniors and families—proposing over two trillion dollars in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid," the ad says. "Breaking his promise. Slashing our health care to the bone. And for what? Tax breaks for the wealthiest corporations."
The latest White House spokesperson you've probably never heard of, Judd Deere, says the budget doesn't cut Medicare, but is "saving it" with "necessary reforms" that would actually likely make it harder for Medicare beneficiaries to find providers for the care they need. The $846 billion in Medicare cuts would end up making it difficult for some seniors to access care, and would require Medicare beneficiaries to get prior approval for certain medical services—which have not been specified—that the administration says are ripe for waste and fraud.
Note that Deere doesn't respond at all to the charge that the the budget would cut Medicaid. In truth, it essentially envisions destroying the program by turning it into a block grant that would allow it to more easily wither away and die. To the tune of $1.5 trillion in cuts over 10 years. But Trump and the administration don't care about Medicaid or the people who are getting care through the program, so they don't even bother to defend those cuts.
This isn’t a real, actionable budget Nothing in it binds Congress, but it is extremely important in laying out Trump’s vision for America, a vision that Republican lawmakers seem to pretty much embrace. That’s Trump’s gift to Democrats—an albatross to hang around Republicans’ collective neck.