Missouri Senator Josh Hawley called the cuts to Medicaid "politically suicidal" as many Republicans' voter bases may be threatened by them. House Republicans have proposed legislation with $880 billion in cuts, largely to Medicaid, in order to approve $4.5 trillion in tax breaks.

Hawley’s op-ed, titled “Don’t Cut Medicaid,” questioned President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill,” asking, “Will Republicans be a majority party of working people, or a permanent minority speaking only for the C suite?”