West Virginia senator says he does not expect Medicaid cuts as tax-reconciliation debate proceeds

A United States senator from West Virginia said in a radio interview that he does not expect steep Medicaid cuts as Congress considers tax-reconciliation measures to make Trump-era tax cuts permanent.

When the interviewer noted that about "28% of the West Virginia population" is covered by Medicaid and CHIP, the senator replied, "I do not believe it'll happen. I mean, I really don't believe it'll happen," adding, "I don't believe at the end of the day that Donald Trump is gonna hurt our elderly or our kids."

The senator framed his view with reference to his time as governor of West Virginia. He said that when he took office eight years earlier the state's finances were "upside down," and described his approach in office as cutting waste, removing unnecessary regulations, keeping a flat budget and growing revenue through energy development. He said he cut taxes in West Virginia "26 times" and that the state subsequently ran surpluses.

Those remarks were presented as the senator's account of his record and expectations; he did not cite legislation or a specific Senate vote that would prevent Medicaid reductions. The interview did not include a formal commitment or a legislative action preventing changes to Medicaid or CHIP funding.

The exchange touched on broader fiscal questions related to how to pay for making tax cuts permanent and whether that process could include alterations to entitlement programs, but no formal floor action or committee decision was announced during the interview.

The senator said he would "look very strongly" at any proposals affecting the many West Virginians who rely on Medicaid and CHIP, but repeated his belief that severe cuts would not occur.