House GOP Eyes New Medicaid Reforms In ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ To Stave Off Conservative Revolt

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Thursday that House Republicans would accelerate the timeline for Medicaid work requirements in President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” as House GOP leadership looks to stave off defections from conservative lawmakers who are threatening to block the bill from moving forward.

Conservative GOP lawmakers who sit on the House Budget Committee, including Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, suggested they would oppose advancing the president’s vast tax and spending package Thursday, citing in part the bill’s failure to implement Medicaid work requirements for childless, able-bodied adults until 2029. House conservatives want to move that timeline up significantly, which would allow the bill to achieve additional savings, potentially as much as several hundred billion dollars over a decade, according to Roy.

The House Budget Committee is expected to vote Friday to advance the president’s budget reconciliation package. House Speaker Mike Johnson has stated he wants House Republicans to pass the bill by the end of next week before lawmakers leave Washington for the Memorial Day recess.

Lawmakers’ fight over reforms to Medicaid is just one issue area that threatens to delay passage of the vast tax and spending package containing much of the president’s legislative agenda.

House Republicans are proposing to tighten eligibility requirements for the popular entitlement program by requiring able-bodied, childless adults up to 64 years old prove they are working, seeking employment, volunteering or in school for at least 20 hours a week.

The work requirement proposal would save roughly $300 billion over seven years,