The director of the National Council of the White House, Kevin Hassett, said on Sunday that the Trump administration is not aiming for medication in its budgetary sweeping proposal, but reported that the administration would be open to changes if the senators discover fraud or abuses while examining the bill.
“If someone finds waste, fraud and abuse to Medicare, then of course, we look at him”, ” Hassett said on “Face The Nation with Margaret Brennan. “” But there have been a lot of false stories about the fact that Medicare is on the table, and it is completely not on the table. “
The Republicans of the Senate this week are working on the budget bill adopted by the Chamber, nicknamed the “A great nice billBy President Trump, who includes deep tax reductions, border security measures and changes in medical assistance programs and food.
Hassett has rejected the idea that the Republicans aim for maladie for the cuts on Sunday.
“This story that came out last week was covered as our intention to attack Medicare,” said Hassett. “And it was just a great false news.”
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When asked if the administration would revisit Medicare’s provision if the Senate identifies abuses, Hassett said they would. “I saw a massive amount of waste, fraud and mistreatment in Medicaid, and I was not informed of waste, fraud and abuse of health insurance. But if they find something then, of course, we were looking at it,” he said.
The Budget Office of the Non -Supportance Congress estimated earlier this week that the bill will add 2.4 billions of dollars to the national debt in the next decade. Senator Thom Tillis told Charlotte WCNC On Thursday, he supports legislation that would address waste in the Medicare Advantage program. This addition, he said, would not affect the beneficiaries but would focus on “the elimination of waste, fraud and abuse of the Medicare Advantage program, including expensive government excessive to insurance companies”.
To pay some of Mr. Trump’s tax reforms, such as the extension of his tax discounts in 2017 and the elimination of advice tax, there are reductions in several programs. The Republicans insisted that they do not cut Medicaid, and the reductions in the low -income law program became one of the most loaded parties of the bill. During a closed -door session with members of the Republican conference a few days before the adoption of the bill, sources in the room told CBS News, Mr. Trump, said: “Not to face with Medicaid.”
House Republicans adopted the bill At the end of last month on a vote of 215-214, sending it to the Senate where the leaders of the GOP weigh revisions to obtain enough votes under the rules of budgetary reconciliation.
“What we want to see now is that we want the Senate to adopt the bill, then we want the Chamber and the Senate to develop their differences,” said Hassett. “So, at the moment, the Senate must obtain the votes it needs to adopt the bill, and we support them in this process.”
Some Republican senators, including Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski from Alaska and Josh Hawley of Missouri, have expressed concerns On the provisions of Medicaid in the bill, in particular the new monthly requirements of monthly bonus for low -income beneficiaries. Their opposition highlights the uncertainty continues while the leaders of the GOP Senate work to obtain enough votes. The bill cannot afford to lose more than four votes in the Senate, granted that all Democrats vote against him.
Hawley called Medicaid’s work requirements “both morally erroneous and politically suicidal”.
Asked about Hawley’s concerns, Hassett said: “I should go see what he has and tell him about it. And I would also like to speak to the president of the specific question. So I can’t talk about it. ”
The administration has argued several times that not adopting the legislation could harm the broader economy.
“If we do not adopt this bill, then we lose 6 to 7 million jobs and 4% GDP,” said Hassett on Sunday. “If we create the jobs we have in the bill, then we will create much more insurance than what we are talking about in waste, fraud and abuse.”
The Senate Republicans should publish their version of the bill in the coming days. If there are significant changes, he will then have to return home for the final passage before landing on Mr. Trump’s office.