Democrats Eye Time Limit on Medicaid Expansion in Quest for Cuts

Congressional Democrats from Republican strongholds say they expect legislation to create a federal Medicaid program for many of their states to be limited to as few as three years.

The battle now, they say, is getting funding for the program for as many years as possible.

“Right now it’s pretty clear it won’t be made permanent,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) said in a hallway interview.

Democrats Hold Tight to Obamacare, Medicaid in Funding Wish List

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) speaks on Medicaid expansion and the reconciliation package during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 23, 2021. He was joined by Democratic Sens. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Raphael Warnock (Ga.), Jon Ossoff (Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), and Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux (Ga.).

Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Democrats are debating how to shrink a once-$3.5 trillion domestic spending agenda that has so far included creating a permanent federally run Medicaid program to ...