The Opening Democrats Needed is Here

House Budget Committee Unveils Spending Cut Plan, GOP Infighting Ensues

On Wednesday morning, the House Budget Committee released the text of its one-bill proposal tackling the border, energy, and taxes—along with $1.5 trillion in minimum spending cuts. The hard-right faction of the Republican Party immediately revolted, demanding an additional $500 billion in cuts.

24 hours later, they found the money.

It’s always the same game—start with the goal and work backward. The far-right demanded $2 trillion in cuts, and the House Budget Committee obeyed without hesitation: "Yes, sir, we will."

By Thursday, Republican hard-liners were celebrating their victory, forcing deeper cuts into the GOP’s sweeping policy package. But the legislation—covering border security, energy, defense, and taxes—was spiraling into dangerous territory.

“I don’t know where they’re going to get the cuts,” said Rep. David Valadao, a Republican from a heavily Democratic district in central California, as he left the Capitol.

Speaker Mike Johnson’s biggest threat? His own party. Swing-district Republicans are panicking. They know that slashing Medicaid, food assistance, and other safety-net programs will cost them their seats.

The Districts That Will Decide 2026

The GOP won seven House districts by fewer than three points in the 2024 elections:

• Nebraska's 2nd District – R+1.9

• Pennsylvania's 7th District – R+1

• Pennsylvania's 8th District – R+1.6

• Pennsylvania's 10th District – R+1.3

• Alaska's At-Large District – R+2

• Arizona's 6th District – R+3

• California's 41st District – R+3

But those aren’t the only seats in play.

Of the 141 majority-minority districts, the GOP won just 19 in 2024. Among them? Rep. David Valadao’s seat in California—one of at least 25 Republican-held districts where the party is on shaky ground heading into 2026. These districts are the battleground. They will decide the 2026 midterms. And they will determine whether the GOP succeeds in gutting Medicaid.

Democrats Must Move First

If Democrats wait for the GOP to act—if they let Republicans frame the debate around “fiscal responsibility” and tax cuts—the battle is already lost. The GOP will spin the narrative, flood the zone with misinformation, and disguise their agenda behind a smokescreen of deception.

There is only one way forward: preemptive strikes.

Expose the truth before their lies take hold. Hesitate, and you lose.

The Two-Front Strategy

Stopping Medicaid cuts requires a two-pronged attack:

1. Flood the Airwaves—on Fox News

Plaster Fox News with ads. Seniors need to see what the GOP is planning: billionaire tax cuts funded by ripping money from their pockets. Make it inescapable. Overwhelm conservative media before Republicans can bury the truth.

2. Treat 2026 Like It’s Happening Now

Start campaigning today. Focus on the 25 most vulnerable GOP-held districts—those won by fewer than four points and those with majority-minority populations. The GOP is already working to dismantle Medicaid, piece by piece. Their strategy is gradual because they know a direct attack will spark backlash. Democrats must act before it’s too late.

This Isn’t About Policy—It’s a Payoff

The GOP isn’t gutting Medicaid out of ideological purity—this is about keeping their megadonors happy.

Why? Because the billionaires who bankrolled the GOP in 2024 want something in return: the extension of the 2017 Trump tax cuts. Those cuts didn’t pay for themselves in 2018, and they won’t pay for themselves now. The money has to come from somewhere—and Medicaid is the target.

The Fight Is Winnable—But Not If Democrats Wait

If Americans understand how the GOP plans to fund these tax cuts, public outrage will force the House GOP onto the defensive.

But the clock is ticking. Hesitate, and Republicans will lock in their cuts before Democrats even enter the fight.

The time to act is now.

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