WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Wednesday tried to strike proposed Republican cuts to health programs for the poor and elderly from a budget blueprint, seeking to inflict political pain as the Senate moves ahead on a $4 trillion budget that’s a crucial step in the GOP’s drive to rewrite the tax code.
Democrats want to eliminate provisions from the GOP budget that would cut Medicare by almost $500 billion over the coming decade and slash the Medicaid health program for the poor by twice as much. Another Democratic amendment would try to block Republican plans to add the 10-year, $1.5 trillion tax cut to the nation’s $20 trillion debt. Votes are expected Wednesday afternoon.
“Do you want to cut Medicaid or not, yes or no? Do you want to cut Medicare or not, yes or no?” said top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York. “Do you want to vote for a $1.5 trillion deficit or not, yes or no?”
Republicans controlling the Senate, on track to pass the budget measure later this week, are likely to reject the Democratic moves. They easily prevailed on a procedural vote on Tuesday and only Rand Paul, R-Ky., has said he’ll oppose the measure.