At Budget Hearing, Senator Murray Slams Republicans for Sham Hearing on Medicaid Fraud, After They Made the Largest Cuts to Medicaid in History

Murray: "Chairman Johnson has said repeatedly he believes Social Security is a Ponzi scheme… I am going to keep fighting to save Social Security and protect healthcare for Americans. Now, and long into the future."

Johnson: "I've said it's a legal Ponzi scheme, which is exactly what it is. I mean, take a look at what a Ponzi scheme is. That's what Social Security is."

Murray: "Seems to me like the biggest Medicaid theft didn't happen in a billing office somewhere, it actually happened last year, right here in the United States Capitol, when Republicans passed Trump's Big Ugly bill."

***WATCH: Senator Murray's full questioning***

Washington, D.C. - Today, at a Senate Budget Committee hearing on Medicaid, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Budget Committee, slammed Republicans' sham hearing on Medicaid fraud. Senator Murray called out Trump for pardoning criminals convicted of Medicaid fraud and Republicans who voted to slash Medicaid to give tax cuts to billionaires last year in Trump's Big Ugly Bill.

[MEDICAID FRAUD HYPOCRISY]

Senator Murray began by asking Jonathan Ingram, Vice President of Policy and Research at the Foundation for Government Accountability, about how Trump and Republicans' say they want to crack down on Medicaid fraud; meanwhile Trump has actually pardoned criminals convicted of Medicaid fraud.

MURRAY: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think we can all agree can we do need to crack down on fraud, especially in a program like Medicaid that so many Americans really rely on.

So, Mr. Ingram, let me just ask you: Yes or no? You agree that we need to be cracking down on Medicaid fraud, not letting criminals off the hook, yes?

INGRAM: Yes.

MURRAY: Thank you. So, I hope my Republican colleagues will use some part of this hearing to condemn President Trump for pardoning criminals who were convicted of major Medicaid fraud. Trump pardoned five former executives from Florida who committed serious Medicaid fraud to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. That is pretty bad.

Following what was dubbed "the largest health care fraud scheme charged by the U.S. Justice Department"-valued at over $1 billion in Medicare and Medicaid fraud-Trump commuted the 20-year sentence of a Florida nursing home and assisted living facility executive. So that's even worse.

So, look, I'm all for a major crackdown on fraud-I think we all are, but it looks like we've got some pretty good leads starting in the White House.

[REPUBLICAN MEDICAID CUTS]

Senator Murray continued by asking Andy Schneider, Research Professor of the Practice at the Center for Children and Families in the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, about how Trump's Big Ugly Bill made the largest cuts to Medicaid in American history and kicked thousands of Americans off their health insurance, all to give massive tax breaks to billionaires.

MURRAY: Mr. Schneider, I want to turn to you. What single piece of legislation delivered the largest cuts to Medicaid in American history?

SCHNEIDER: Last year's budget reconciliation bill.

MURRAY: Yep. Just so everybody knows: Republicans' "Big, Ugly Bill" passed more than $1 trillion in health care cuts, mostly to Medicaid.

Mr. Schneider, how much in tax breaks for the top one percent did Trump's bill contain?

SCHNEIDER: Approximately $1 trillion.

MURRAY: $1 trillion dollars, in tax cuts, to the top one percent.

Mr. Schneider, how many Americans are losing health care because of Trump's Big Ugly Bill?

SCHNEIDER: So, in terms of the Medicaid cuts, the latest estimates are approximately 11 million.

MURRAY: 11 million.

So, zero billionaires lose their health care-they do get a trillion in tax cuts and then over fifteen million Americans-including the extended ACA tax credits-lose their health care thanks to Republicans passing $1 trillion in cuts for regular, working class people.

That is the math, and that is out-and-out grift. So it seems to me like the biggest Medicaid theft didn't happen in a billing office somewhere, it actually happened last year, right here in the United States Capitol, when Republicans passed Trump's Big Ugly bill.

[CLOSING REMARKS]

During Senator Murray's closing remarks, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), doubled down on his stance on Social Security and called it a "legal Ponzi scheme."

MURRAY: So Mr. Chairman, let me just say, I find it pretty astounding that Republicans are holding an entire Senate hearing on "fraud" in Medicaid, but they don't seem to have anything to say about the "fraud" coming out of the White House. I mean look at the crypto schemes, and the foreign gifts-that is easily the most corrupt White House in American history-President Trump pardoned convicted criminals who committed Medicaid fraud! This is outrageous to me, and it is what we should be talking about.

But I also want to note a really big difference in terms of values and beliefs right now. Because I am here-and I know my colleagues on this side are-to fight for our safety net programs. But my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not with me in that fight.

Chairman Johnson has said repeatedly he believes Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme. Last week, another Republican Senator was on the floor saying Social Security is a "scam."

So, I wanted to make really clear at this hearing, I could not disagree more strongly, Mr. Chairman. Social Security is a program that millions of hardworking Americans have paid into their entire lives. So Republicans might want to cut benefits, or privatize Social Security, but I want you to know I am going to keep fighting to save Social Security and protect healthcare for Americans. Now, and long into the future.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

JOHNSON: To correct the record, I've said it's a legal Ponzi scheme, which is exactly what it is. I mean, take a look at what a Ponzi scheme is. That's what Social Security is. It's been horribly mismanaged. Those funds were not invested in something that's of value to the federal government-government bonds. I'm happy to-and we'll probably hold a hearing on this, and I'll prove the case-but it's a legal Ponzi scheme, and that's quite honestly indisputable.

MURRAY: Mr. Chairman, to respond.

And welcome to the chairmanship, but I find that you are turning this into a debate committee, not a budget committee. That's fine, but let me just respond-

JOHNSON: I think it's important that the American people see a civil exchange but go ahead.

MURRAY: You have a right as a chair, but I will respond: Americans pay for their Social Security. They pay into it for their lifetimes, and they deserve to know it's going to be there in the future. That's what we're focused on.

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