KENNEDY: OBBB Strengthens Medicaid by Ending Fraud and Abuse

Senator John Kennedy is pushing back on claims that the 2025 reconciliation package—dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB)—cuts Medicaid. Writing in Louisiana papers, Kennedy argued that the reforms will make the program stronger by closing loopholes and targeting waste, not by reducing benefits for those who qualify.

Kennedy highlighted several key provisions: ending state efforts to extend Medicaid to illegal immigrants; cracking down on fraud through bi-annual income verification; preventing “double-dipping” across programs, which costs taxpayers billions; and requiring healthy, childless adults to work, study, or volunteer 20 hours a week.

Citing a Louisiana case where a woman underreported income while buying a Lamborghini, Kennedy said reforms are necessary to ensure Medicaid remains focused on the disabled, elderly, pregnant women, and caregivers. “Sometimes the best way to get back on your feet is to get off your butt,” he wrote.

Kennedy dismissed opposition as partisan scare tactics meant to distract from the bill’s centerpiece—the largest tax cut in American history. He argues OBBB is not a Medicaid cut, but a Medicaid cleanup designed to protect both taxpayers and the program’s long-term sustainability