A group of eight House Republicans in the Congressional Hispanic Conference sent a warning shot to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on the chamber’s budget resolution that outlines sweeping cuts as part of advancing President Trump’s legislative agenda, adding to the complexity of getting enough support in the slim GOP majority to advance it on the House floor next week.
The members, led by conference Chair Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), in a Wednesday evening letter called on Johnson to ensure “essential programs” like Medicaid, Pell Grants, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits “are not caught in the crossfire.”
“Nearly 30% of Medicaid enrollees are Hispanic Americans, and for many families across the country, Medicaid is their only access to healthcare. Slashing Medicaid would have serious consequences, particularly in rural and predominantly Hispanic communities where hospitals and nursing homes are already struggling to keep their doors open,” the letter said.
It also warned against cutting funding for Pell Grants because “Hispanic students make up a significant share of Pell Grant recipients.”
And finally, it mentioned SNAP: “While we fully support efforts to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse, we must ensure that assistance programs—such as SNAP—remain protected as nearly 22% of Hispanic families rely on this critical program as a temporary safety net during difficult times.”
Trump gave his stamp of approval to the House’s “one bill beautiful bill” budget resolution plan over a slimmed-down Senate version on Wednesday, in a major boost to Johnson and House GOP leadership. The bill, which is going through a reconciliation procedure that can bypass a Democratic filibuster in the Senate, will address Trump’s tax, border, and energy priorities.
But concerns from moderate Republicans, and now the Congressional Hispanic Conference, over the extent of potential cuts — particularly to Medicaid — mean it does not yet have enough support to pass with only House GOP support next week despite Trump’s backing.
The House resolution, which advanced out of the Budget Committee, lays out a $1.5 trillion floor for spending cuts across committees with a target of $2 trillion. It puts a $4.5 trillion ceiling on the deficit impact of any GOP plan to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, and it includes $300 billion in additional spending for the border and defense and a $4 trillion debt limit increase.
Joining Gonzales on the letter were Reps. Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas), Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), David Valadao (R-Calif.) Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), and Dels. James Moylan (R-Guam) and Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-Northern Mariana Islands).
“We look forward to working with you and our colleagues on a responsible approach to these budget discussions where we can both eliminate government waste while ensuring we do not undermine programs that support working-class Americans,” the members said in the letter. “Hispanic Americans are the future of the Republican Party, and they are closely watching to see if we will govern in a way that honors their values and delivers results.”
The letter also marks the first major statement from Gonzales in his capacity as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Conference — a group of around a dozen Hispanic Republicans, not to be confused with the Democratic Congressional Hispanic Caucus — which he wants to take to be more visible and vocal.
“I’m ready to go and really, really turn up the heat here,” Gonzales told The Hill in an interview this week.
