What Happened?
House Republicans passed a big budget plan earlier this month. It calls for $880 billion in spending cuts over the next 10 years. The plan doesn’t mention Medicaid by name, but it tells the House Energy and Commerce Committee to find these cuts. This committee handles Medicaid funding.
The budget resolution sparked controversy because it instructs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to find $880 billion in spending cuts over the next decade. This resolution does not specifically mention Medicaid by name, but the Energy and Commerce Committee oversees Medicaid funding.
Different Views on Where Cuts Would Come From
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget stated that:
“it would likely be nearly impossible to meet the [$880 billion] target without including some Medicaid reductions.”
Medicaid is a major part of what the Energy and Commerce Committee oversees.
Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have ruled out some significant potential Medicaid changes, such as altering the formula for federal funding to states. They’ve argued their focus would be on eliminating “fraud, waste and abuse” in Medicaid rather than cutting benefits.
The Congressional Budget Office sent an analysis to lawmakers examining what meeting the $880 billion target would require. Their analysis found that when Medicare is excluded (which Republicans have pledged not to cut), the committee would face challenges meeting the target without affecting Medicaid funding.
Both sides have interpreted this analysis differently, with Republicans saying efficiencies can be found and Democrats arguing essential services would be cut.
Our Nevada Senators: Two Different Paths
This is where our Nevada senators took different roads. They’re both Democrats, but they didn’t vote the same way.
Senator Jacky Rosen voted against the Republican spending bill.
She said that she:
“cannot vote for an irresponsible and hyper-partisan bill that gives Trump and Musk even more power to hurt millions of Americans all while Congressional Republicans continue to push for cuts to Medicaid.”
At a rally in Nevada, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez even praised Rosen for this vote.
But Senator Catherine Cortez Masto took a different approach. While she eventually voted against the final bill too, she joined with nine other Democrats to let the bill move forward past a potential filibuster.
She explained that she did this to prevent a government shutdown that would give “Trump and Musk even more power.”
Cortez Masto has spoken out against “Republican’s billionaire tax cut that is going to gut Medicaid,” but she chose a different strategy than Rosen when it came to the actual vote.
Local Outreach on Budget Issues
Representative Dina Titus recently held a town hall with Boulder City Democrats to discuss the budget situation.
According to Titus, she:
“met with #BoulderCityDems at a town hall last night to hear their anger and frustration with DOGE cuts to Social Security and other vital services.”
On social media, she wrote:
“We must protest but also must have a plan to take back the House in 2026. That is the only way to stop the DOGE.”
I met with #BoulderCityDems at a town hall last night to hear their anger and frustration with DOGE cuts to Social Security and other vital services. We must protest but also must have a plan to take back the House in 2026. That is the only way to stop the DOGE. pic.twitter.com/5auUJL7xMT
— Dina Titus (@repdinatitus) March 20, 2025
The timing of this town hall with a smaller community group could be seen as early groundwork for the upcoming campaign season. By testing messaging with local groups now, representatives can refine their approach on budget issues before the full campaign begins.
Why This Matters to Conservatives
For limited government supporters, this debate touches on core values. Finding waste in government programs is something most conservatives support. But there’s a difference between cutting waste and cutting needed services for vulnerable Americans.
The question is: Can Congress find $880 billion without hurting people who rely on Medicaid? Republicans say yes. Democrats say no. Budget experts have provided analysis that both sides interpret differently.
For conservatives who believe in fiscal responsibility but also in protecting the truly needy, this is a tough issue. It asks us to think about what limited government really means – is it about cutting spending at all costs, or making government work better?
Campaign Test Kitchen
With the 2026 election looming on the horizon, Nevada Democrats are treating the budget cuts controversy as a campaign messaging laboratory.
Dina Titus’s Boulder City town hall represents a small-scale testing ground for how voters respond to different framings of the budget debate. Meanwhile, Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto are piloting contrasting approaches with Rosen’s firm opposition and Cortez Masto’s procedural compromise.
By using terms like “DOGE cuts” instead of more neutral language and explicitly connecting their opposition to future election strategy, Nevada Democrats are signaling they view this budget fight not just as a policy disagreement but as a potential centerpiece issue for mobilizing their base in 2026.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
