As Democrats sound alarms over the potential fallout from President Donald Trump’s newly signed “Big, Beautiful Bill,” Republican lawmakers are rallying around one of its most controversial provisions — new work requirements for Medicaid eligibility.
The legislation mandates that able-bodied, childless adults between 18 and 64 work at least 80 hours per month — or participate in job training, school, or community service — in order to qualify for Medicaid. GOP lawmakers are hailing the requirement as a common-sense step to encourage self-reliance and reduce dependency.
“We’ve got people working 20 hours a day right now harvesting wheat,” said Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) in an interview with Fox News Digital. “We want folks to go to college, to volunteer, to work — it brings dignity and purpose to their lives. Work is not something to be ashamed of.”
Marshall cited statistics showing that seven million able-bodied American men are not currently employed, saying the same number of jobs remain unfilled across the country. “We ought to be doing everything we can to help them find work — whether through education, trade schools, or community programs,” he said.
Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) argued that generous government aid without requirements has eroded the incentive to work. “There are real disincentives to employment in this country,” he said. “Taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for able-bodied adults — especially not for non-citizens.”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) took an even sharper tone. “We’ve got too many freeloaders,” he said, blaming what he sees as a culture of government dependence on young adults with student debt and degrees that “aren’t worth anything.”
“This country was built on hard work,” Tuberville added. “We’ve got to get back to that.”
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said he views the work requirement as a way to roll back the Medicaid expansion included in the Affordable Care Act, which he referred to as “Obamacare.”
“That expansion was a backdoor to a single-payer system,” Johnson claimed. “Now that states have built budgets around that money, they’re screaming as we try to end the scam.”
Democrats Warn Millions Could Lose Coverage
Democrats, however, see the provision as a calculated move to strip vulnerable Americans of health care coverage.
“This isn’t about saving money or improving efficiency,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). “This is about kicking people off Medicaid. Republicans built a work requirement they know will be nearly impossible for many working-class people to comply with — and that’s the point.”
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) warned the provision could leave 17 million people without insurance, including 300,000 in his own state.
“These are life-and-death decisions,” Kelly said. “People are already choosing between food, rent, and medical care. Now we’re just pushing them further to the edge.”
Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky also pushed back on the GOP’s narrative. “These aren’t freeloaders — they’re parents of kids with special needs, people working two jobs. And if they miss a deadline or a form, they lose everything,” he said on CNN’s State of the Union.
Dr. Richard Besser, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, pointed to Arkansas as proof of the damage these policies can cause. Thousands lost Medicaid coverage there when work rules were implemented, and rural hospitals — which rely heavily on Medicaid — faced financial strain.
“If these cuts take effect nationwide, hundreds of rural hospitals could close,” Besser warned on ABC’s This Week. “That affects entire communities and deters businesses from investing in those areas.”
Supporters Say the Numbers Are Misleading
Conservative analyst James Agresti of Just Facts pushed back against Democratic claims, citing the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate that the new rule would remove 1.4 million non-citizens and 9.2 million able-bodied adults from Medicaid rolls — people, he said, who are either unwilling to work or engaged in fraud.
Agresti called Democratic projections — including a total of 11.8 million losing coverage and an additional 5.1 million affected by the end of COVID-era ACA subsidies — an exaggeration.
“These were temporary pandemic benefits. The bill doesn’t revoke them — they simply expire,” he said. “Even the New York Times acknowledged that inflating those numbers is misleading.”
Citing former Obama economic adviser Larry Summers, Agresti argued that overgenerous assistance programs have made it easier for people to opt out of work altogether.
As debate continues to swirl, Trump’s allies are pressing forward with the argument that requiring work in exchange for government benefits is not only fair — but foundational.
“It’s time we restore the values of work, dignity, and responsibility,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson. “This is what the American people expect — and what this country was built on.”
