Image of male nurse pushing senior woman in a wheelchair in nursing facility

House Republicans are coming on board to oppose Medicaid reductions in the fiscal 2006 budget.

A total of 43 GOP Congressmen sent a letter this week requesting that House Budget Committee Chair Jim Nussle (R-IA) work to avoid these cuts during conference committee negotiations on the budget, according to CQ Today. The budget resolution currently calls for $20 billion in savings over five years, most of it coming from Medicaid.

A total of 37 of the 43 legislators voted for the resolution. House Democrats are unanimously opposed to the Medicaid funding reduction. A House majority could adopt a resolution instructing House conference committee members to eliminate Medicaid cuts in the budget.

The Senate approved a budget resolution with an amendment reinstating $15 billion to Medicaid and proposing commission to study Medicaid reform. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) has been negotiating with Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) on Medicaid.