Doctors in Congress tout reforms, potential problems in federal Medicaid spending

Rep. Raul Ruiz, MD, MPP (D-California), speaks May 13, 2025, during a hearing of the House Energy & Commerce Committee about the federal budget legislation and potential cuts to Medicaid. This image was taken from the committee's webcast.

Physicians in Congress split along party lines in debate over the potential effects of Medicaid reform.

Rep. John Joyce, MD (R-Pennsylvania) and Rep. Raul Ruiz, MD, MPP, (D-California), and Rep. Kim Schrier, MD (D-Washington), were among the speakers making opening statements in the May 13 hearing of the House Energy & Commerce Committee.

At times the session was raucous. Chair Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Kentucky) made his opening statement, then had Capitol police escort out attendees chanting “No cuts to Medicaid!” At least five people were visible exiting with officers on the hearing webcast. Ranking Member Rep. Frank Pallone (D-New Jersey) asked the police not to arrest anyone of possible because many of them were disabled and he did not want to see them hurt. There were several other disruptions during other members’ statements.

The legislators spent more than two hours commenting on the Medicaid aspects of the bill, before launching into discussion about other elements in it, such as energy policy. At the end of that discussion, Pallone moved to adjourn the committee, but that motion failed in a 29-24 vote.

‘The abuse ends now’

Joyce, Ruiz, Schrier and the other lawmakers were passionate when delivering their explanations and requests.

U.S. Rep. John Joyce, MD (R-Pennsylvania)

“In November, the American people sent a clear-cut message that they were done rampant waste, fraud and abuse in our government programs that drain taxpayer dollars for wasteful programs,” Joyce said. “This legislation that we are marking up here today is the first step towards that agenda that we promise to deliver for the American people.

“This legislation that we are marking up today does not address any changes to Social Security,” said Joyce, a dermatologist. “For far too long, illegal immigrants and able-bodied Americans who can return to the workforce have been draining funds from the low income who need that Medicaid, from pregnant women who rely on Medicaid, from children who rely on Medicaid, from the elderly who rely on Medicaid. What we are marking up today is the opportunity to secure Medicaid,” for those who depend on it.

“The abuse ends now,” Joyce said. “We are not addressing Social Security. We are addressing, making sure that the Medicaid funds, are able-bodied individuals are removed from those Medicaid sources. This bill includes critical legislation that will stabilize that. It's an important message that should not be lost on anyone. I support this.”

‘Big, ugly bill’

Representatives go to Washington, D.C., to represent districts, to pass legislation to better the nation, and to protect and improve the lives of constituents, said Ruiz, an emergency medicine specialist.

“And make no mistake, the policies in this big, ugly bill do the exact opposite,” he said. “If this bill became law, it would devastate the health care infrastructure my and all of your constituents rely on. It would strip health care coverage from millions of our most vulnerable citizens, and over 42 percent of my constituents rely on Medicaid, or Medi-Cal in California, for their health insurance, including over 60 percent of children.”

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill will lead to the loss of health insurance coverage for at least 13.9 million people, Ruiz said.

Ruiz and other Democrats held up photos of constituents and told their stories about relying on Medicaid for health care coverage. Ruiz relayed the story of Victoria, who described using that state’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, for health care access in Imperial Valley, a low-income, rural and underserved region. It is the only thing protecting her from the challenges and consequences that come from needing crucial medical services, she said.

In California, up to 90% of people who use Planned Parenthood rely on Medi-Cal, Ruiz said.

“As you consider the legislation before you today, it's simple choice: Strip health care coverage from our nation's vulnerable in order to give tax cuts to the wealthy billionaires like Elon Musk or protect the constituents you took an oath to protect, represent, and do not cut Medicaid and take health care away,” Ruiz said.

‘Every child deserves a chance to live’

Schrier, the first pediatrician elected to Congress, held up a photo of a girl who had difficulties at birth at Kittitas Valley Healthcare, a critical access rural hospital in Ellensburg, Washington in March 2021. The newborn “wasn’t moving, she was pale. The room became a flurry of urgent action, nurses whisked her away,” Schrier said.

Rep. Kim Schrier, MD (D-Washington)

The girl was breathing, but her oxygen levels were critically low, and she needed a blood transfusion. Clinicians from Seattle Children’s Hospital flew to the hospital and the girl survived. Now she is 4 years old, happy and healthy, Schrier said.

“And this story is a testament to what rural health care can do when it is resourced, when it is staffed and when it is supported,” Schrier said. Without a rural critical access hospital, the girl might not have lived, and that is true for countless other people across the nation. It is not uncommon for people in rural Washington to deliver a baby on the way to the hospital, because hospitals and health care services are far apart there and in districts of many Republicans, she said.

“Cutting Medicaid will close rural hospitals,” Schrier said. “Every child deserves a chance to live and every family deserves access to that care. That is why we must preserve Medicaid, because without that support, rural hospitals will close and access will not be available to patients.”