Johnson: Medicaid’s Focus Is on ‘Fraud, Waste and Abuse,’ Specifically Young, Able-Body Workers

BRENNAN For this tax ░░░░░░░░ you talked about the ░░░░░░░░ to pay for it ░░░░░░░░ You are eliminating subsidized ░░░░░░░░ student loans so the ░░░░░░░░ will no longer cover ░░░░░░░░ interest on debt while ░░░░░░░░ are in school You ░░░░░░░░ eliminating 500 billion in ░░░░░░░░ energy subsidies and you ░░░░░░░░ terminating early tax breaks ░░░░░░░░ electric vehicles Alongside that ░░░░░░░░ re carrying out about ░░░░░░░░ trillion in reductions to ░░░░░░░░ and food stamps We ░░░░░░░░ at your home state ░░░░░░░░ the projection is that ░░░░░░░░ 200 000 Louisianians will ░░░░░░░░ their Medicaid coverage because ░░░░░░░░ this How do you ░░░░░░░░ that to your constituents ░░░░░░░░ We have not cut ░░░░░░░░ and we have not ░░░░░░░░ SNAP What we re ░░░░░░░░ Margaret is working on ░░░░░░░░ waste and abuse And ░░░░░░░░ in Louisiana and around ░░░░░░░░ country understands that that ░░░░░░░░ a responsibility of Congress ░░░░░░░░ in in Medicaid for ░░░░░░░░ you ve got 1 ░░░░░░░░ million illegal aliens receiving ░░░░░░░░ benefits That is not ░░░░░░░░ Medicaid is intended for ░░░░░░░░ s intended for vulnerable ░░░░░░░░ for young single pregnant ░░░░░░░░ and the elderly and ░░░░░░░░ disabled and people who ░░░░░░░░ need those resources Right ░░░░░░░░ they re being drained ░░░░░░░░ fraud waste and abuse ░░░░░░░░ ve got about 4 ░░░░░░░░ million people on Medicaid ░░░░░░░░ now nationwide who are ░░░░░░░░ bodied workers young men ░░░░░░░░ example who are not ░░░░░░░░ who are taking advantage ░░░░░░░░ the system If you ░░░░░░░░ able to work and ░░░░░░░░ refuse to do so ░░░░░░░░ are defrauding the system ░░░░░░░░ re cheating the system ░░░░░░░░ no one in the ░░░░░░░░ believes that that s ░░░░░░░░ BRENNAN So Johnson So ░░░░░░░░ s a there s ░░░░░░░░ moral component to what ░░░░░░░░ re doing And when ░░░░░░░░ make young men work ░░░░░░░░ s good for them ░░░░░░░░ s good for their ░░░░░░░░ BRENNAN Sure Johnson It ░░░░░░░░ good for their self ░░░░░░░░ and it s good ░░░░░░░░ the community that they ░░░░░░░░ in BRENNAN Sure but ░░░░░░░░ first of all just ░░░░░░░░ immigrants you know are ░░░░░░░░ eligible for food stamps ░░░░░░░░ Medicaid Some Johnson And ░░░░░░░░ they re receiving them ░░░░░░░░ s the problem BRENNAN ░░░░░░░░ present immigrants are So ░░░░░░░░ 190 000 Louisianians that ░░░░░░░░ projected by KFF as ░░░░░░░░ their Medicaid your position ░░░░░░░░ they were just lazy ░░░░░░░░ working that they were ░░░░░░░░ What what about them ░░░░░░░░ do you defend that ░░░░░░░░ will be losing their ░░░░░░░░ Johnson No what we ░░░░░░░░ talking about again is ░░░░░░░░ bodied workers many of ░░░░░░░░ are refusing to work ░░░░░░░░ they re gaming the ░░░░░░░░ And when we make ░░░░░░░░ work it ll be ░░░░░░░░ for everybody a win ░░░░░░░░ win for all By ░░░░░░░░ way the work requirements ░░░░░░░░ is not some onerous ░░░░░░░░ thing It s a ░░░░░░░░ of 20 hours a ░░░░░░░░ You could either be ░░░░░░░░ or be in a ░░░░░░░░ program a job training ░░░░░░░░ BRENNAN Yes Johnson or ░░░░░░░░ volunteering in your community ░░░░░░░░ is not some some ░░░░░░░░ thing This is common ░░░░░░░░ And when the American ░░░░░░░░ understand what we are ░░░░░░░░ here they applaud it ░░░░░░░░ is a wildly popular ░░░░░░░░ because we have to ░░░░░░░░ the programs What we ░░░░░░░░ doing is strengthening Medicaid ░░░░░░░░ SNAP so that they ░░░░░░░░ exist so that they ░░░░░░░░ be there for the ░░░░░░░░ that desperately need it ░░░░░░░░ most and it s ░░░░░░░░ being taken advantage of ░░░░░░░░ Yes Johnson And this ░░░░░░░░ something that everybody in ░░░░░░░░ Republicans and Democrats should ░░░░░░░░ to.”