FIRST ON FOX: A measure in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” aimed at cracking down on federal payments for abortion providers could run into a buzzsaw of opposition from moderate House Republicans.
House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., held a conference call with GOP lawmakers on Sunday night unveiling his panel’s portion of the Republican reconciliation bill.
During the question and answer portion of the call, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., asked for clarity on several aspects, including a provision to make “large groups who provide abortion services” ineligible for federal Medicaid dollars, Fox News Digital was told.
“You are running into a hornet’s nest,” Lawler warned his colleagues.
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Speaker Mike Johnson said Trump’s agenda bill could defund ‘big abortion’ last month (Getty/Reuters)
The New York Republican, one of only three GOP lawmakers representing districts that Trump lost in 2024, questioned how those groups were being defined and said the language needed to be “looked over,” Fox News Digital was also told.
Guthrie assured him that certain considerations were being taken in the language.
Lawler also pointed out that the Hyde Amendment already prevents federal dollars from going towards abortion services, Fox News Digital was told.
His concerns were echoed by another person familiar with House GOP discussions on the matter, who was granted anonymity to speak freely.
That person told Fox News Digital that several moderate Republican lawmakers communicated to House GOP leaders that they could oppose the final bill if that provision was included.
“We’re not fighting a new fight on abortion when that’s kind of calmed down,” the person recalled of the moderates’ argument.
Fox News Digital first learned of discussions about the potential measure last week. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., alluded to Republicans’ plans in a speech at the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America’s gala last month.
Rep. Mike Lawler raised concerns about the anti-abortion provider measure on Sunday night. (Tierney L. Cross)
Johnson said the Republicans’ bill would redirect funds from “big abortion” to “federally qualified health centers.”
The legislation itself refers to nonprofit organizations that are “an essential community provider…that is primarily engaged in family planning services, reproductive health, and related medical care; and provides for abortions.”
The legislation makes exceptions for facilities that only provide abortions in the case of rape, incest, or threats to the life of the mother.
It’s one of several efforts to rein in spending to pay for Trump’s other priorities via the budget reconciliation process.
House Republicans currently have a razor-thin three-vote margin, meaning they can afford to have little dissent and still pass anything without Democratic support. They’re hoping to do just that, with virtually no Democrats currently on board with Trump’s massive Republican policy overhaul.
The budget-reconciliation process lowers the Senate’s passage threshold from 60 votes to 51, lining up the House’s own simple majority threshold.
Reconciliation allows the party in power to effectively skirt the minority and pass broad pieces of legislation – provided they address taxes, spending or the national debt.
Trump wants Republicans to use the maneuver to tackle his priorities on the border, immigration, taxes, defense, energy, and raising the debt ceiling.
To do that, several committees of jurisdiction are working on their specific portions of the bill, which will then be put together in a massive vehicle to pass the House and Senate.
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Rep. Brett Guthrie chairs the House Energy & Commerce Committee (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The Energy & Commerce Committee – which has a broad jurisdiction including Medicare, Medicaid, telecommunications, and energy production – was tasked with finding at least $880 billion in spending cuts out of a total $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion.
Guthrie said the bill released late on Sunday evening includes “north of” $900 billion in spending cuts.
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In addition to the measure ending Medicaid funds for large abortion providers, the legislation also finds savings in instilling work requirements for certain able-bodied beneficiaries of Medicaid expansion.
Some Medicaid dollars going toward states that provide taxpayer-funded healthcare to illegal immigrants are also targeted.
It would also repeal certain Biden administration green energy subsidies, including the former White House’s electric vehicle mandate.
Fox News Digital reached out to the committee and Lawler’s office for comment on the specific measure.