Argued for Addressing Hundreds of Billions in Waste and Fraud Without Cuts to Services
“We've Got to Find a Way to … Do Things Better for Less”
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair of the Health Subcommittee, highlighted the importance of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda at POLITICO’s 2025 Health Care Summit. During a fireside chat with Rachael Bade, POLITICO’s Senior Washington Correspondent, Buchanan underscored how Republicans in Washington are focused on delivering better services while cutting inefficiencies.
Click here or the image above to view Congressman Buchanan’s remarks.
Here’s what Buchanan said about the MAHA agenda and cutting waste, fraud and abuse in health care:
MAHA Will Tackle the Chronic Disease Epidemic and Empower All Americans
Rachael Bade: “Can you talk to me about what is the genesis of the Republican Party now being the one carrying the MAHA mantle? What happened in 10 years?”
Rep. Buchanan: “I’ve been focused for the last couple of years on MAHA, before it became MAHA … It’s new leadership, and people are looking at things differently. I’m clearly looking at things differently because we can’t continue down that road. You mentioned the obesity factor. Well, children: 20% are obese today, used to be 3 or 4 or 5%. If you take a look at adults: 40 to 45% obesity. This leads, as you know, to Type 2 diabetics. In terms of the military, we can’t get a lot of the kids: 31% don't qualify because of obesity. So there’s a lot of things we’ve got to change and look in a different direction. And I think that … diet is the key in terms of what you’re putting in your system … My big picture is, you’ve got to be the CEO of your own health.”
$4.4 Trillion on Health Care, and Americans are Sicker Than Ever
Rep. Buchanan: “We’re spending $4.4 trillion on health care right now, and Medicare just alone, I think it’s $1 or $2 trillion, and it’s getting worse. We’re spending more money, and the results from what we’re spending is getting less. … If you take a look, Social Security and Medicare make up a third of the budget. … Last year, we took in—and this is the bigger picture, as a business guy, this is what I try to look at—when you take in $5 trillion, in terms of receipts, and you spend $7 trillion, that’s got to end. When I came to Congress, don’t blame me, but [the debt] was $8 trillion. Today, it’s $37 trillion.”
Rep. Buchanan: “I’m not for cuts to Medicaid.”
Republicans Will Root Out Waste, Fraud and Abuse Without Cutting Critical Services
Rachael Bade: “We’ve heard Democrats suggest that Republicans are going to cut [Medicaid] in reconciliation. I know Republicans have said they are not going to do this, but your colleagues in the instructions for reconciliation did prescribe $880 billion worth of cuts that perhaps might come from Medicaid. What cuts do you think Republicans will make there?
Rep. Buchanan: “I’m not for cuts to Medicaid. It’s the people at most risk: children and families and single moms and stuff like that. I’m going to do everything to make sure it doesn’t go down that road. But I can tell you, being here, there’s a lot of inefficiencies. We’ve got to find a way to be able to trim a lot of that cost down, do things better for less. … I think the President’s made it pretty clear in terms of Medicare and Medicaid. That does impact my district, I have the fifth oldest district in the country, but it impacts a lot of districts too. We want to keep that viable.”
Buchanan has been a leading advocate in Congress for the MAHA agenda and combatting chronic diseases. Last month, Buchanan’s Chronic Disease Flexible Coverage Act (H.R. 919), which expands treatment options provided through employers’ healthcare coverage for Americans living with chronic diseases, passed the House with a unanimous bipartisan vote. Last fall, Buchanan chaired a Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Hearing on “Investing in a Healthier America” and the critical role preventive medicine and healthy living play in combatting chronic disease and the obesity epidemic.
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