Op-Ed: Vernon Jones: Sen. Cassidy’s Medicare cuts are bad politics, and they imperil President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill
When the House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill last month, it marked a major victory for President Donald Trump’s agenda. Congressional Republicans appeared poised to deliver on the mandate the American people demanded when they elected President Trump: secure our borders, lower taxes for families and businesses, and rein in wasteful spending on the Green New Scam, biased federal agencies, and far-left priorities.
But not so fast.
Respectfully, one Senate Republican feels his priorities are more important than the will of the American people. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.) is urging his colleagues to offset the cost of the tax cuts by slashing Medicare Advantage, the coverage option now chosen by more than half of all Medicare beneficiaries.
Cassidy’s gambit is textbook Washington uniparty behavior, reflecting the attitudes of entrenched politicians within the Beltway that they are the ones who know best. This is a serious mistake that will tank the Big, Beautiful Bill if successful. Even worse, Senator Cassidy is doing Democrats' bidding by pursuing a Medicare cut that the left will surely use against the GOP come election season. Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) said it best: politicians who mess with Medicare lose elections. Just ask Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
President Trump has been crystal clear: cuts to Medicare are not on the table. And for good reason. Aside from the obvious electoral risks tied to messing with seniors' health care, Medicare Advantage program is not some bloated, inefficient bureaucracy — it’s a highly popular, cost-effective option that millions of seniors depend on. It delivers benefits that traditional Medicare doesn’t, like vision, hearing, dental, and wellness programs, and it does so while producing better health outcomes for seniors and more value for taxpayers.
Using the free market to empower seniors with more choices, better care, and fewer costs is exactly the principle most Republicans stand for. Plus, Medicare Advantage has grown year after year, across red states and blue states alike. Its popularity is a testament to its success and efficiency in delivering positive health care outcomes for seniors. Only a common Washington Swamp Rhinoceros like Cassidy could come up with a reason to mess with this program. Democrats are begging for Senator Cassidy to push forward.
President Trump’s promise to defend Medicare for seniors has been a huge part of his successful political message — and we can’t backtrack now. The Big Beautiful Bill should be a unifying moment for our party, an opportunity to deliver tax relief without sacrificing the trust of America’s seniors. It is precisely the wrong time to dust off old ideas about Medicare cuts and dress them up as “savings.”
Senate Republicans must reject this approach. We have a winning message on the economy. We have a President who has kept his promise to protect Medicare. Let’s not fumble that advantage by allowing misguided policy to override political common sense. The path forward is clear: keep Medicare Advantage out of reconciliation and stay focused on delivering for the American people.
Vernon Jones is a former DeKalb County CEO, former member of the Georgia House of Representatives, and former Republican candidate for Georgia Governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House. In 2020 he was one of the first elected Democrats to endorse President Trump's re-election campaign and switched his party affiliation to Republican shortly thereafter. He has since remained a close ally of President Trump.
