During remarks on the Senate floor Thursday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) spoke about Medicaid spending.

House members in the San Joaquin Valley who voted for the bill defended their decisions, despite projections that some of their constituents will lose coverage.

One health policy professor said cutting Medicaid and similar programs "will be devastating" to millions of Americans.

When Michelle Lawrence heard about Medicaid cuts in the Republican tax and spending bill, it felt like “a punch to the gut.”

Experts warn that cuts to Medicaid could further erode protections for contraception access. “State policies are really shaping the reality of contraceptive access on the ground, especially because the federal protections are crumbling." - Cathryn Streifel, senior program director at the Population Reference Bureau

The sweeping regulation proposes notable changes to how Medicare pays physicians, but overall results in a modest bump to reimbursement in 2026.