DOGE to Medicaid - Answering Your Questions

There has been a lot of activity in Washington over the past few weeks, and a lot of people have questions about what is going on.

I recently joined Frederica Freyberg on PBS's Wisconsin Here and Now to answer the questions many people have right now, including the recent reporting on DOGE and Medicaid.

You can watch our interview live tonight at 7:30pm on PBS, or you can watch it on the PBS website, or read some of my comments yourself below.

"There's a lot of fear-mongering, and that shouldn't be lost on anyone. Usually, the fear-mongering points by some of my colleagues on the left focus on veterans benefits or Social Security, both false... we actually last Congress protected veterans benefits and Social Security.

The focus, as it relates to Medicaid, an important program that provides health care to many of the least amongst us in our country, which is separate from Medicare which provides care to our seniors…we have a real opportunity to do is to help people and lift them out of the need for the program.

What do I mean by that? Instead of measuring by simply the inputs, how much money we are spending on some of our welfare programs, what we need to be focused on is how we help individuals get good or better-paying jobs such that they're able to be self-sustainable."

Budget Resolution

This week, the House of Representatives voted on a budget resolution that will start the reconciliation process. A budget resolution does not change current federal spending by itself but rather creates a blueprint for congressional committees to follow.

These committees will now begin developing budget recommendations within their jurisdiction. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate will then need to vote on a final budget bill.

As part of the budget process, Congress will be considering an extension of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) which first passed in 2017. If Congress does not vote to pass an extension of these tax cuts, the average American family will see a tax increase of more than $1,500 at the end of this year. As Wisconsin families continue to struggle with the costs of inflation, I am working to ensure taxes do not increase because of legislative inaction.

I look forward to continuing our work and crafting a budget that secures our border, protects critical programs, and lowers costs for Wisconsin families. If you have thoughts on what Congress should focus on throughout the budget process, please don’t hesitate to contact me.Recently, I spoke about the need for Congress to pass a budget that supports Wisconsin families. You can watch my comments yourself here or listen to my interview with our local radio station here.

Countering China

This week, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing entitled “Examining Policies to Counter China.” During the hearing, witnesses testified on the need to ensure that the financial services sector continues to operate under a U.S.-led system rather than one dominated by the Chinese Communist Party.

One witness, Mr. John Cassara, discussed that if the U.S. does not continue to lead in the financial services sector, that the current digital authoritarianism that exists in China will make its way to the United States through a Central Bank Digital Currency.

Specifically, Mr. Casarra said that he was “concerned as well about the Chinese development of the central bank digital currency…  [that can] demonetize a citizen so that individual is not able to get on the metro, not able to pay for their child's education, not able to buy groceries."

As always, feel free to contact my office if you have any questions, want to share an opinion, or are having trouble with a federal agency.  

On Wisconsin,

Bryan Steil
Member of Congress

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