‘Important And Heroic Thing’: Mike Johnson Defends Medicaid Reforms In ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill

House Speaker Mike Johnson told “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker on Sunday the “one big, beautiful bill” passed by the House of Representatives did not cut Medicaid but carried “important and heroic” reforms.

The House of Representatives passed President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill by a 215-214-1 vote May 22 — which not only enacts the president’s promises to end taxes on tips and overtime pay, but also makes Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent and includes reforms to Medicaid. Johnson told NBC News’ Welker that the legislation was targeting “fraud, waste and abuse” in the entitlement program. (RELATED: Scott Jennings Appears Flabbergasted CNN Host Doesn’t Seem To Understand Key Concept About Major Gov’t Program)

“There are no Medicaid cuts in the big beautiful bill. We’re not cutting Medicaid,” Johnson told Welker. “What we are doing is reducing the program wrought with fraud, waste and abuse to make sure that that program is essential to so many people and ensure that it is available for the most vulnerable, and it’s intended for young, single pregnant women, the disabled and elderly.”

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“You have young men, able-bodied workers on Medicaid and not working when they can,” Johnson continued. “That drains resources from the people who need it most and what we are doing is an important and heroic thing to preserve the program so it doesn’t become insolvent.”

The House-passed bill contains Medicaid work requirements for some childless able-bodied adults, which are slated to go into effect at the close of 2026.

“This will not affect rural hospitals and there’s flexibility built into this. 7.6 million people is the figure that will supposedly be affected by this,” Johnson said. “When you look at the numbers and break them down, this is high on public opinion. You are talking about 1.4 million illegal immigrants.”

“If you are able to work and not and riding the public wagon, you need to pull it. All we’ll require in the legislation is 20 hours a week,” Johnson continued. “You can volunteer in a community, be in a job training program and get to work. This is the message to young men taking advantage of the system, it is abusing the system and we will fix that and it is common sense.”

Senate Republicans are currently seeking to send the bill to Trump’s desk by July 4.

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