Conservatives have long 鈥 and rightly 鈥 raised the alarm about fraud, waste and abuse in the Medicaid system.
We owe it to taxpayers to ensure that every dollar is spent responsibly, and every service is delivered with integrity. But in our zeal to root out inefficiency, we must not lose sight of what Medicaid means to real people.
That鈥檚 why I want to commend the House for making the wise and compassionate choice to preserve critical Medicaid funding in the recent 鈥淏ig, Beautiful Bill.鈥
The truth is Louisiana鈥檚 health care system is walking a tightrope. Our hospitals 鈥 especially those in rural communities 鈥 are operating on razor-thin margins.
A one-size-fits-all approach to Medicaid cuts wouldn鈥檛 just weed out inefficiencies; it would put essential care out of reach for the very people who need it most. That includes the anxious dad trying to get their child in to see a pediatric specialist, the expecting mom who relies on regular appointments for a healthy pregnancy and the disabled young adult who depends on consistent treatment to remain out of the emergency room.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, gives reporters an optimistic outlook to passing President Donald Trump's big tax and immigration bill by July 4th, during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
These aren鈥檛 hypothetical scenarios. They are real constituents in my district and across our state. Nearly one-third of Louisianans rely on Medicaid, while over 62% of births are paid for through Medicaid. However, when we talk about cutting Medicaid without precision, we鈥檙e not just talking about numbers on a spreadsheet 鈥 we鈥檙e talking about the lives behind those numbers.
The consequences of Medicaid cuts do not stop at a patient鈥檚 health care, however. Drastic cuts to health care budgets also create an economic ripple effect. Hospitals and health care providers are often the largest employers in our communities. Slashing Medicaid funding would mean job losses 鈥 from nurses and technicians to support staff 鈥 and a devastating blow to local economies already under strain.
Reform? Absolutely. Oversight? Without a doubt. But let鈥檚 be clear: Preserving the core of Medicaid while continuing to pursue accountability is not a compromise of conservative principles 鈥 it鈥檚 a reflection of conservative compassion. Fiscal responsibility and human responsibility are not mutually exclusive.
I applaud Speaker Mike Johnson and our Republican House for understanding the critical balance at stake and choosing a path that protects our most vulnerable citizens while still allowing us to push for greater transparency and reform.
They didn鈥檛 throw the baby out with the bath water. They showed that conservative governance can be both principled and pragmatic.
Let鈥檚 keep working together 鈥 not to dismantle the safety net, but to strengthen it where needed, and secure it for future generations. That鈥檚 the kind of conservatism our country deserves.