Medicaid: Case Study in Effective Communication

by Newt Gingrich

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Democrats want you to think that House Republicans are out to cut Medicaid. They aren’t.

As I posted on X Monday, Jeffries “is either totally misinformed or lying.” The truth is: The House Republican budget increases spending on Medicaid from $695 billion to $863 billion over the decade. As I posted, that is a $168 billion dollar increase in Medicaid spending.

In fact, as other reforms get wrapped into the reconciliation bill, it is likely that the increase in total Medicaid spending will possibly rise to $250 billion or $300 billion.

Washington is the only city in the country where a $168 billion increase can be described as a cut. This tells you a lot about Jeffries and the House Democrats.

Despite the facts, I’m sure the Democrats and their elite media allies are going to continue to mislead people about the Republican plan. So, Republicans must develop a plan to counter this and win the argument.

Earlier this week, I wrote about lessons we learned from developing the Contract with America and related them to passing the House Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill. I wrote that House Republicans should focus on moral values rather than numeric values, use everyday language rather than Washington-speak, avoid the word “cut,” and emphasize patriotism over bureaucratic process. Mainly, I wrote that Republicans must have the support of the American people or nothing they do will last. They may narrowly pass a bill, but they will lose the election in 2026, and the Democrats will undo all their efforts. The same lessons could be applied to the House GOP plan for Medicaid.

Medicaid is a great example of learning to communicate the right way. This is an important program for millions of Americans. If Republicans handle it wrong and communicate their plan poorly, they will lose the next election. However, if they handle the issue with the appropriate thoughtfulness and respect – and communicate those values effectively – they will take a huge step toward improving the program and controlling spending as a secondary benefit. This would help improve the lives of millions of Americans, bring down interest rates, and strengthen the economy. The American people will strongly support Republicans if they handle this properly.

For starters, every time Republicans are asked by media, opponents, and constituents about alleged Medicaid cuts, they must firmly insist that that the House Republican plan increases Medicaid spending. Then they must immediately provide the information to prove this.

As I wrote in my upcoming book “Trump’s Triumph,” winning the 2024 election was only the beginning of the process of making America great again. It was not a two-or four-year license for Republicans to do whatever they want. It was a signal of support from the American people to improve our lives, make America more affordable, and keep our nation safe.

Republicans must keep and maintain this support through this entire process. To do this, they must do the right things – in the right ways. The American people must be kept in the loop – and constantly courted for their approval. Otherwise, the leftwing propaganda media machine will drown the GOP agenda in falsehoods and trivia.

If Republicans across government can stay focused on doing what the American people entrusted them to do, America will soon enter its new Golden Age.

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