House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing a new rebellion among Republican lawmakers as a dozen of them warned him they won't vote for a budget reconciliation package that includes steep cuts to Medicaid.
Those who issued the warning are swing-district and centrist lawmakers whose standing could be impacted by a potentially unpopular measure, Axios reported. It puts Johnson between a rock and a hard place, as members of the House Freedom Caucus are making demands of their own: that the bill includes further cuts.
The former group wrote a letter to Johnson and other GOP leaders saying that many of them represent "districts with high rates of constituents who depend on Medicaid." "Balancing the federal budget must not come at the expense of ... their health and economic security," reads a passage of the document.
"We cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations," they added.
The development comes as Republicans are already showing concern about their majority in the Lower House following the 2026 midterm election.
Inside the GOP there is a growing sense that the party should get back to basics and focus on the pocketbook issues that many voters sent them to Washington to address, Politico reported earlier this month.
The Trump administration has also shown signs of growing anxiety regarding the matter. The president abruptly pulled his nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik to be United Nations ambassador, fearing her seat could be lost. The move reportedly left other GOP members "blindsided."
As worries grow, GOP members are urging party leaders to return their focus to pocketbook issues. However, the party also seems to be divided there, as there's internal disagreements about the effects of Trump's tariffs. Some say they will ultimately lead to reviving American manufacturing— but even many of the president's allies fear they could drive up prices and potentially crash the economy, according to the outlet.
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