Congressman Don Bacon says he is open to $500 billion in cuts to Medicaid

OMAHA, Nebraska (April 29, 2025)—Today, Nebraska For Us is responding to an exclusive POLITICO report that indicates Congressman Don Bacon has privately told the Trump Administration that he is willing to cut $500 billion from Medicaid. The move is part of the reconciliation process to extend the 2017 GOP Tax Law that delivered massive tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. The House Energy and Commerce Committee, tasked with finding $880 billion in cuts that would largely come from Medicaid, is tentatively set to meet next week to consider its portion of the bill.

In March, Congressman Bacon said, “I am committed to not cutting Medicaid.” Today’s report that he supports hundreds of billions in Medicaid cuts represents a shift from that message,  only adding to confusion about his position on a program that 350,000 Nebraskans rely on.

“Congressman Bacon’s public statements have been challenging to follow. First, he said he opposed Medicaid cuts. Now he’s open to slashing hundreds of billions of dollars from it. Which is it?” Nebraska For Us State Director Angie Lauritsen said. “As economic anxiety grows over tariffs and Nebraskans are finding it more difficult to afford basic necessities, the last thing he should be doing is considering any cuts to a program that is a lifeline for taxpayers across our entire state.”

According to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, at least three rural Nebraska hospitals are already at an immediate risk for closure. Dramatically cutting Medicaid funding could make the problem even worse—especially in the state’s rural communities.

Earlier this month, Nebraska For Us traveled to Washington with fellow Nebraskans to express concerns about massive and harmful cuts to programs like Medicaid to finance tax breaks that disproportionately favor the rich. At that point, Congressman Don Bacon’s office acknowledged the importance of preserving Medicaid but would not commit to fully protecting the program that millions of Nebraskans and Americans count on for their health care needs.

Nebraska For Us focuses on federal economic policies that impact working class and middle income Nebraskans, specifically with the potential extension or expansion of the 2017 GOP Tax Law and cuts to programs Nebraska families rely on. We continue to call on Congressman Bacon to support a fairer tax code, especially as House committees get to work on steep cuts to provide more relief to the top earners versus working class and middle income Nebraskans.