House passes spending bill — Here’s what’s in it
The House passed a spending bill that would raise the deficit and could put Medicaid in danger.
A Kentucky congressman is leading the committee in charge of cutting $880 billion in spending over 10 years under the House’s recently passed budget resolution — a move experts say will likely heavily affect Medicaid.
U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie is chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees telecommunications, consumer protection, food and drug safety, health care and interstate and foreign commerce. The committee oversees $25 trillion in spending, the vast majority of which goes toward Medicaid and Medicare, two government-funded health insurance programs.
The budget resolution does not specifically mention Medicaid, but as one of the government’s largest expenses, experts believe a large portion of the cuts could come from the program.
Here’s what to know about Guthrie and what his committee has been tasked with accomplishing.
Who is Congressman Brett Guthrie?
Since 2008, Guthrie has represented Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes Fort Knox, Owensboro, Bowling Green and part of eastern Jefferson County. He was named chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in December.
Prior to being elected to Congress, he served as a member of the Kentucky Senate from 1999 to 2009.
He is a graduate of both West Point and Yale University and worked at automotive part supplier Trace Die Cast, Inc. prior to entering politics.
Guthrie has been a longtime opponent of the Affordable Care Act, which expanded Medicaid access, calling it “bad for patients, providers, and employers.” He’s called for per capita caps on Medicaid spending, which “would give states a fixed maximum amount of money for each person” in the program, according to Axios.
“We must work together to restore America’s energy dominance and lower energy prices, protect children’s online safety and ensure America remains the world leader in technological innovation, and protect access to life-saving treatments while lowering health care costs,” Guthrie wrote in a statement after becoming committee chair. “The task before us is significant, but together the House Energy and Commerce Committee will lead the way to restore the American Dream for hard-working families.”
How much is spent on Medicaid?
More than $880 billion was spent on Medicaid in fiscal year 2023, with $600 billion coming from the federal government and nearly $275 billion coming from state governments. As a joint program, the federal government matches at least 50% of state spending on the program. In some less wealthy states, the federal government matches a higher percentage.
Kentucky has a match rate of 71.41%, the 10th highest in the nation, including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Of the continental states, Kentucky ranks fifth, beaten out only by Mississippi, West Virginia, Alabama and New Mexico.
Kentuckians received $16. 3 billion in Medicaid spending in fiscal year 2023, $13.3 billion of which came from the federal government.
According to health care policy nonprofit KKF, one in every four dollars of federal spending goes to health programs or services.
What’s next?
The budget resolution, although passed in the House and supported by President Donald Trump, has a few steps to go.
The Senate, which passed its own budget resolution, would have to adopt the House’s plan. Then, both sides of Congress will have to write and pass legislation outlining the budget.
Reach reporter Keely Doll at kdoll@courierjournal.com.
