Republicans 'facing real general election problems' over Trump Medicaid cuts: Ex-GOP rep

02 July

Image via Screengrab.

President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" took another major step forward when, on Tuesday, July 1, it narrowly passed in the U.S. Senate in a 51-50 vote. With 50 U.S. senators voting "yes" and 50 U.S. senators voting "no," Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote in the bill's favor.

The megabill now goes back to the U.S. House of Representatives, where it passed 215-214 before — and where lawmakers are debating the changes that were made after it went to the Senate.

Many critics of the Senate version of the bill are arguing that Senate Republicans made its steep cuts to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits even more draconian. And former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pennsylvania), during a Wednesday, July 3 appearance on MSNBC, emphasized that House Republicans in swing districts could be voted out of office in the 2026 midterms if they vote "yes."

When MSNBC host Ana Cabrera asked Dent if "this deal is going to get done," the Never Trump conservative and former GOP congressman responded, "I think a deal will get done. I'm not saying this deal will get done. By the way, the whipping sessions or the smackdown sessions are about to begin in the White House. Those on the hard right who are upset about the deficit; I suspect many of them will melt to presidential pressure. I think the real challenge on this bill is going to be from Republicans who represent swing districts, who have made strong statements about not cutting Medicaid. Presidential threats and bullying may not work as well there because those members are facing real general election problems. Their issues aren't the primary."

Dent recalls that in 2017, when he was still serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Trump tried to pressure him into voting to overturn the Affordable Care Act of 2010, also known as Obamacare — but he never caved in.

The Never Trumper told Cabrera, "You know, the president got really angry with me. I voted against the bill. (Sen.) John McCain helped tank it then in the Senate, and it never passed. So some of us were able to stand up then, and I think today, there are some in the House who are going to really balk at these Medicaid changes, among some other things. And they're going to be harder to persuade."

Dent continued, "We'll see what happens. Maybe Trump gets his way, but they're going to have to do a lot of really serious arm- twisting and threats to get to get this thing over the finish line."

The panel also included former Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana), who was voted out of office in 2024.

When Cabrera asked Tester who the "winners and losers" are with Trump's "big, beautiful bill," he responded, "The winners are the uber-rich. They get big tax breaks. The losers are folks that need help with food security, folks that need access to health care."

Watch the full video below or at this link.

From Your Site Articles