The Senate parliamentarian dealt a big blow to Republicans’ plans to cut Medicaid as part of its “big, beautiful bill.” The move could jeopardize the July Fourth deadline set by Senate Majoirty Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who said he would not challenge the ruling.
Elizabeth MacDonough rejected a plan to cap states’ use of health care provider taxes to collect more federal Medicaid funding, a proposal that would have generated hundreds of billions of dollars in savings to offset the cost of making President Trump’s corporate tax cuts permanent, according to a Democratic summary of the parliamentarian’s ruling.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) has called for MacDonough to be fired in the wake of her Mediciad decision.
The Supreme Court issued new opinions Thursday, the penultimate day of its current term, including rulings on South Carolina’s ban on Planned Parenthood receiving Medicaid funds. The outstanding opinions include one in the birthright citizenship case, which is almost certain to be released Friday.
Earlier Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth summoned members of the media for a press conference on Thursday, during which he trashed their coverage of U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. He singled out Fox News’s Jennifer Griffin, a former colleague.
Neither Hegseth nor Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine presented new information supporting the administration’s contention that the strikes on three facilities “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. Caine said the bombings were carried out exactly as planned, but noted the military does not “grade its own homework,” while Hegseth leaned on statements released Wednesday by National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard and CIA chief John Ratcliffe.
Catch up:
- Questions about success of Iran strikes spark fears on Capitol Hill
- The Memo: Trump fights to hold on to narrative of Iran win
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