Congressman Gabe Evans Votes to Pass E&C Bill
Today, following an 26.5-hour long markup, Congressman Gabe Evans voted to advance the Energy and Commerce Committee budget reconciliation bill.
Congressman Evans’ statement on the bill:
“Today, Republicans followed through on our promises to prioritize American energy, repeal Green New Deal policies, and strengthen the economy. This is commonsense legislation that puts America first. This bill is a win for Colorado and it was a shame to see Democrats – including those from Colorado – oppose these efforts today.”
Congressman Evans’ statement on the Medicaid portion of the bill:
“Medicaid spending under the Republican plan is projected to increase every year, and anyone who suggests otherwise is fear mongering for political purposes. This bill follows through on our promises to cut waste, fraud, and abuse while simultaneously protecting coverage for Colorado’s most vulnerable populations. As the father of a medically complex kid, I understand how significant programs like this are, and that’s why I am committed to protecting Medicaid and ensuring its longevity for the people who need it most.”
Congressman Evans’ bipartisan Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act, legislation to remove deceased people from Medicaid and Medicare rolls and cut down on fraud in the system, is included in this package.
This bill:
- Secures America’s energy infrastructure by taking steps to refill our Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which strengthens our energy security and supports our national security.
- Save $172 billion over the next 10 years by repealing burdensome Biden-Harris Administration regulations, and over $100 billion by eliminating EV mandates imposed by the vehicle emission.
- Raises $88 billion of new revenue through a historic agreement reauthorizing the FCC’s spectrum auction authority.
- Modernizes the Department of Commerce so we can integrate AI systems to make the Department more secure and effective.
- Sustains and protects Medicaid for those whom the program was originally intended to serve: expectant mothers, children, people with disabilities, and the elderly.
Background:
On Medicaid:
- The New York Times refuted Democrats’ claims that 13.7 million people will be kicked off of Medicaid is an “exaggeration.” The real number is 7.6 million people – made up of illegal immigrants, able-bodied people who don’t want to work, and people who are ineligible recipients.
- Reminder: The $880B figure is for the entirety of Energy and Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction over 10 years, not solely Medicaid.
- This bill reduces fraud, waste, and abuse by cleaning Medicaid rolls. Critics who complain about people losing coverage are therefore defending spending taxpayer money on these four ineligible populations over the people who rely on Medicaid.
- Ineligible populations - Under Biden-era rules, Medicaid enrollment lists could not be regularly checked for eligibility, resulting in millions of ineligible individuals being able to stay enrolled in the program on the taxpayers’ dime.
- Illegal immigrants - Under current law, illegal immigrants can receive taxpayer-funded healthcare for up to 90 days. This bill eliminates that by requiring citizenship to be asked in the enrollment stage.
- Don’t want to comply with work requirements - This bill requires working age, able-bodied enrollees to work part time or demonstrate community engagement such as volunteering with reasonable exemptions. This is how SNAP/food stamps work.
- Dual enrolled - Many people are enrolled in Medicaid in more than one state. This bill eliminates duplicates to reduce wasteful spending and fraud.
On taxes:
This legislation is:
Helping small business by preventing their taxes from doubling from 21% to 43%.
Preventing the standard deduction from getting cut in half, which impacts the bottom 84% of wage earners in Colorado and prevents an increase of over $2k for the average Colorado family of four.
Stopping the child tax credit from being cut in half from $2k to $1k, impacting working families with kids.