Hirono criticizes Republican budget plan, warns potential Medicaid cuts would impact thousands in Hawaiʻi

US Sen. Mazie Hirono on Wednesday released a statement condemning a House Republican budget resolution that she claims would up to $2.3 trillion over the next decade—about one-third of Medicaid’s projected federal funding—warning that it could strip health coverage from nearly 140,000 Hawai‘i residents.

“As costs rise and working Americans struggle, Republicans are pushing a budget that would gut Medicaid and cut off thousands in Hawai‘i from health care,” Hirono said. “This dangerous resolution prioritizes tax breaks for billionaires over essential health programs, putting millions of Americans at risk.”

While the budget resolution doesn’t specifically mention Medicaid — as it is uncommon to create binding instructions when funding various committees — some experts believe the GOP lawmakers would need to cut Medicaid to achieve their federal spending goals, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

According to the US Congress Joint Economic Committee, nearly 20% of Hawaiʻi’s population—about 440,000 people—rely on Medicaid. If the proposed cuts are enacted, Hirono claims the state could see:

• 20,000 rural residents lose health coverage,
• 35,000 children lose insurance,
• More than one in six seniors lose nursing home care,
• A total of more than 140,000 residents cut off from coverage.