Republican lawmakers who helped President Donald Trump pass his much-touted “big, beautiful bill” are now grappling with the political consequences, according to a new Politico report. The bill, which passed with strong GOP support, includes over $1 trillion in cuts to major social safety-net programs such as Medicaid and food assistance.
Now, just months after its approval, many Republicans fear the decision may backfire and threaten their narrow grip on the House of Representatives in the upcoming midterms. In its Sunday article titled “Republicans just cut Medicaid. Will it cost them control of Congress?”, Politico details growing unrest among GOP lawmakers.
“Republicans’ vote to cut health care programs by more than $1 trillion could hurt them next year,” the article notes. The concern among party members is clear: voters who rely on these programs may turn against them at the polls.
“They’re fretting it will lead to some ugly electoral losses,” the report states, summarizing the mood among many Republican strategists and lawmakers. The internal panic is not just speculation; members of the GOP are openly voicing concerns.
“GOP lawmakers are warning that slashing spending on Medicaid and food assistance will cost the party seats in the midterms, threatening their razor-thin House majority by kicking millions of Americans off safety-net programs,” the article explains.
Senator Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) was quoted as candidly acknowledging the political risk. “You would be foolish not to worry about it… If you don’t keep the voters right with you, you’re going to awaken to a bad, bad, bad day,” he said.
The looming threat from Democrats adds to Republican unease. The opposition party is preparing to weaponize the legislation in the same way it used Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2017. That campaign led to a crushing GOP defeat in the 2018 midterms, when Democrats flipped 40 House seats — including several in traditionally Republican districts.
“Democrats are planning to again hitch vulnerable Republicans to the cuts to social safety-net programs,” Politico reports, drawing a direct line between the 2018 backlash and today’s circumstances.
Tensions are already taking a toll within the party. One unnamed GOP senator has reportedly retired, citing opposition to the bill’s provisions as a key factor in the decision.
As the election cycle heats up, Republicans are left to calculate the cost of their legislative victory — and whether it may come at the price of their congressional majority.