First Focus on Children joined two dozen organizations in urging the Senate Budget Committee to conduct rigorous oversight of H.R. 1’s implementation and to pursue policies that strengthen Medicaid rather than undermine it, including rejecting further cuts.
“Protecting Medicaid is both a health and fiscal imperative because a strong Medicaid program supports healthier people, stronger communities, and a more resilient health care system,” the organizations wrote in a statement for the record regarding the August 4, 2026 hearing titled ‘Medicaid: The Reality’. “We share an understanding and support for Medicaid as one of the nation’s most effective investments in health and economic security. Medicaid is a cornerstone of our nation’s health care system, covering nearly one in five Americans and financing 42 percent of all births. It is the largest payer of long-term services and supports and behavioral health care, and provides essential coverage for the communities that we represent.”