¶ Overview
- Cornyn called for a Medicaid work requirement and proposed replacing the program with block grants..
- Cornyn voted to facilitate a decrease in Medicaid enrollment in expansion states.
- Cornyn repeatedly voted against Medicaid expansions.
¶ Cornyn Opposed Medicaid Expansions And Backed Conservative Medicaid Reforms
¶ Cornyn Called For A Medicaid Work Requirement
2025: Cornyn Claimed There Were “A Lot Of Able-Bodied Adults That Are Simply Living Off Of The American Taxpayer, Costing Billions And Billions Of Dollars… Running Up Our National Debt, When They Should Be Contributing To Our Economy And Contributing To Their Families And Their Communities By Doing Meaningful Work.” According to a press release from Senator John Cornyn, “Cornyn (R-TX) announced his support for work requirements for able-bodied Americans as a part of means-tested programs in the Senate’s reconciliation legislation, which would help rein in spending. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here. [...] ‘In addition to preventing the biggest tax increase in history, this bill will provide an opportunity for us to take important steps in controlling spending and addressing our national debt.’ ‘One of the ways we can do this, which I hope we will embrace wholeheartedly, is to look at means-tested federal programs.’ ‘They need to have work requirements for able-bodied adults because there are a lot of able-bodied adults that are simply living off of the American taxpayer, costing billions and billions of dollars…running up our national debt, when they should be contributing to our economy and contributing to their families and their communities by doing meaningful work.’ ‘Gainful employment has dignity.’ ‘So I would encourage my Republican colleagues to join me in strengthening work requirements across means-tested programs when the time comes to identify these savings within our committees.’” [Press Release – Senator John Cornyn, 4/7/25]
2025: Cornyn Claimed That The Decline In Tradespeople Was “Another Reason Why We Ought To Reestablish Firm Work Requirements For Able Body Adults In Means-Tested Programs” Because “Paying People Not To Work Makes No Sense Whatsoever.” Senator John Cornyn tweeted, “Another reason why we ought to reestablish firm work requirements for able body adults in means-tested programs. Paying people not to work makes no sense whatsoever. Plus, we need the workers.” [Twitter, @JohnCornyn, 4/1/25]
¶ Cornyn Wanted To Replace Medicaid With Block Grants
2024: Cornyn Proposed Block Grants To Replace Medicaid And Wanted The GOP To Consider “Whether We’re Doing [Medicaid] The Right Way.” According to Politico, “Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said that while Social Security and Medicare cuts are likely off the table, Medicaid could be ripe for reform. Specifically, Cornyn teased the idea of providing states a lump sum to cover medical expenses — known as a block grant — rather than having the program be an open-ended entitlement. ‘We can’t just keep doing things the way we’ve been doing them,’ Cornyn said. ‘I’m not advocating for Social Security or Medicare in the absence of a bipartisan consensus because we know that will be a futile effort. There’s a lot of other spending we should consider … We ought to look at whether we’re doing [Medicaid] the right way. Block grants make a lot of sense.’” [Politico, 11/14/24]
¶ Cornyn Voted To Facilitate A Decrease In Medicaid Enrollment In Expansion States
2017: Cornyn Effectively Voted Against Requiring 60 Votes To Consider Legislation That Would Decrease Enrollment In Medicaid In States That Expanded The Program. In January 2017, Cornyn voted against waiving a point of order against an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “ban[ed] legislation from being considered in the Senate that the Congressional Budget Office certifies would increase the number of uninsured Americans, decrease Medicaid enrollment in states that expanded Medicaid, or increase the required state share of Medicaid spending. The ban would be waived by a three-fifths vote of the Senate.” The underlying legislation was an FY 2017 budget resolution designed to being the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act, which could be passed by a majority vote. The vote was on a motion to waive the budget act in relation to the amendment. The vote required a three-fifths vote for approval. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 48 to 50. [Senate Vote 18, 1/11/17; Congressional Quarterly, 1/11/17; Vox, 1/3/17; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 83; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 3]
¶ Cornyn Voted To Facilitate An Increase In The States’ Share Of Medicaid Spending
2017: Cornyn Effectively Voted Against Requiring 60 Votes To Consider Legislation That Would Increase The States’ Share Of Medicaid Spending. In January 2017, Cornyn voted against waiving a point of order against an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, “ban[ed] legislation from being considered in the Senate that the Congressional Budget Office certifies would increase the number of uninsured Americans, decrease Medicaid enrollment in states that expanded Medicaid, or increase the required state share of Medicaid spending. The ban would be waived by a three-fifths vote of the Senate.” The underlying legislation was an FY 2017 budget resolution designed to being the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act, which could be passed by a majority vote. The vote was on a motion to waive the budget act in relation to the amendment. The vote required a three-fifths vote for approval. The Senate rejected the amendment by a vote of 48 to 50. [Senate Vote 18, 1/11/17; Congressional Quarterly, 1/11/17; Vox, 1/3/17; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 83; Congressional Actions, S. Con. Res. 3]
¶ Cornyn Voted Against Expanding The Government’s Share Of Medicaid Expansion To 100% Paid For By Taxes On The Wealthy & On Foreign Inversions
2015: Cornyn Effectively Voted Against Expanding The Federal Government’s Share Of The Medicaid Expansion To 100 Percent By Limiting Executive Compensation Deductibility, The ‘Buffet Rule’ And Taxing Foreign Inversions. In December 2015, Cornyn effectively voted against eliminating any state share of the Medicaid expansion. According to Congressional Quarterly, the amendment would have “ma[d]e permanent the 100 percent Medicaid expansion federal matching rate.” The underlying legislation was a substitute amendment made changes to a reconciliation bill that would eliminate key parts of the Affordable Care Act. The vote was on a motion to waive all applicable budgetary discipline. The Senate rejected the motion by a vote of 45 to 55. [Senate Vote 313, 12/3/15; Congressional Quarterly, 12/3/15; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 2883; Congressional Actions, S. Amdt. 2874; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3762]
- Under The Affordable Care Act, Medicaid Was Expanded To Cover Nearly All Low-Income Americans With Incomes Up To 138 Percent Of Poverty; The Federal Share Was 100 Percent, But Falls To 90 Percent. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, “A central goal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to significantly reduce the number of uninsured by providing affordable coverage options through Medicaid and new Health Insurance Marketplaces. As enacted, the ACA would expand Medicaid for nearly all low-income Americans with incomes up to 138 percent of poverty ($16,242 per year for an individual in 2015). However, the Supreme Court ruling on the ACA effectively made the decision to implement the Medicaid expansion an option for states. For those that expand, the federal government will pay 100 percent of Medicaid costs of those newly eligible from 2014 to 2016. The federal share gradually phases down to 90 percent in 2020 and remains at that level thereafter.” [Kaiser Family Foundation, 4/29/15]