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WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) joined a coalition of congressional colleagues in advocating to preserve Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations as Congress considers budget reconciliation legislation.

In a letter sent to House leadership, Congressman Wittman and his colleagues emphasize that balancing the federal budget must not come at the expense of children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and pregnant women who rely on Medicaid for their health and economic security.

“To strengthen Medicaid, we urge you to prioritize care for our nation’s most vulnerable populations,” the letter states. “Our constituents are asking for changes to the healthcare system that will strengthen the healthcare workforce, offer low-income, working-class families expanded opportunities to save for medical expenses, support rural and underserved communities, and help new mothers.”

The letter highlights the members’ support for targeted reforms to strengthen program integrity, reduce improper payments, and modernize Medicaid delivery systems – all while emphasizing that a final budget reconciliation bill must prioritize care for our nation’s most vulnerable populations.

“Medicaid is an indispensable lifeline for our nation’s most vulnerable, including people with disabilities, seniors, and expectant mothers,” said Congressman Wittman. “That’s why we must act now to strengthen the program. To preserve Medicaid, we need to focus on rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse within the system. This issue is personal for me since I was adopted at eight months old out of Children's Home Society of Virginia in Richmond. My birth mother’s choice to put me up for adoption gave me more opportunities than she felt she could provide. I want to fix our broken Medicaid system so we can ensure vulnerable members like my birth mother get the care they need.”

Congressman Wittman has been an advocate for strengthening rural healthcare and reducing barriers to care across Virginia’s First District. He remains committed to protecting Medicaid coverage for Virginia’s most vulnerable populations while advancing common sense reforms that improve care for patients and ensure the program’s long-term sustainability.

Read the full letter here or below.

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Dear Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Scalise, Majority Whip Emmer and Chairman Guthrie: 

As Members of Congress who helped to deliver a Republican Majority, many of us representing districts with high rates of constituents who depend on Medicaid, we would like to reiterate our strong support for this program that ensures our constituents have reliable healthcare. Balancing the federal budget must not come at the expense of those who depend on these benefits for their health and economic security. 

We acknowledge that we must reform Medicaid so that it is a strong and long-lasting program for years to come. Efficiency and transparency must be prioritized for program beneficiaries, hospitals, and states. We support targeted reforms to improve program integrity, reduce improper payments, and modernize delivery systems to fix flaws in the program that divert resources away from children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and pregnant women – those who the program was intended to help. However, we cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations. 

Cuts to Medicaid also threaten the viability of hospitals, nursing homes, and safety-net providers nationwide. Many hospitals—particularly in rural and underserved areas—rely heavily on Medicaid funding, with some receiving over half their revenue from the program alone. Providers in these areas are especially at risk of closure, with many unable to recover. When hospitals close, it affects all constituents, regardless of healthcare coverage. 

To strengthen Medicaid, we urge you to prioritize care for our nation’s most vulnerable populations. Our constituents are asking for changes to the healthcare system that will strengthen the healthcare workforce, offer low-income, working-class families expanded opportunities to save for medical expenses, support rural and underserved communities, and help new mothers. 

We are committed to working with you to preserve Medicaid and identify responsible savings through deregulation, streamlining federal programs, and cutting administrative red tape. Communities like ours won us the majority, and we have a responsibility to deliver on the promises we made.

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