Dems Ready to Criticize Republicans on Medicaid — A Known Effective Messaging Tactic
Democratic House leaders are calling on lawmakers to focus on the "localize" impacts of Medicaid cuts.
TroibNews 
House Democrats successfully targeted Republicans on health care as part of their strategy to reclaim the majority in 2018. Now, they are preparing to hold them accountable once again.
Ahead of an upcoming budget vote scheduled for Tuesday, party leaders sent private messaging guidance to Democratic lawmakers, which was obtained by PMG. This guidance advised them to accuse Republicans of having “betray[ed] the middle class by cutting Medicaid while giving huge tax breaks to billionaire donors.” It also encouraged members to “localize” the impacts of these significant Medicaid cuts.
“It is critical that you make the damaging local impacts of this legislation real for the people you represent,” stated the memo shared on Monday.
This messaging strategy illustrates a shared understanding among Democrats that Medicaid presents a strong opportunity as they seek an effective approach to counter President Donald Trump and his Republican majorities in Congress. Early signs indicate that these budget votes, if they take place on Tuesday evening, could resonate strongly: Republican lawmakers were confronted by irate constituents at town halls last week, and protesters gathered at district offices in Arizona, California, Iowa, and Pennsylvania to oppose Medicaid cuts.
Moreover, internal polling within the party further supports the push to highlight GOP actions regarding Medicaid. A Democratic survey conducted in late January revealed that 81 percent of registered voters oppose cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, including 76 percent of Republicans, according to a presentation obtained by PMG.
House Majority PAC, the primary super PAC tied closely to House Democratic leadership, is also considering Medicaid-focused paid advertisements, as indicated by communications director C.J. Warnke. Additionally, several House Democrats are preparing a variety of Medicaid-focused content, particularly for social media, as noted by two strategists involved in the initiatives who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Democrats are spending a lot of time diagnosing their problem with working class voters, but can't ignore that one of the cures can come from this fight to protect Medicaid,” remarked Jesse Ferguson, a Democratic strategist.
Democrats expressed relief that recent protests and animated town halls were directed at Republicans, not them, after facing weeks of criticism for not providing a strong enough resistance to Trump.
“We need to put our anger where it belongs, and that's on the people who are hurting working Americans, and that is Trump and the Republicans who don't have the courage to stand up to him,” stated Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez.
Eight years prior, Democrats capitalized on Republican efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and the passage of a tax bill that GOP lawmakers are currently looking to extend. At that time, GOP members confronted outraged constituents during town halls, coupled with a barrage of Democratic advertisements targeting their votes. This led to the defeat of 29 Republican incumbents in the 2018 elections, allowing Democrats to regain control.
Rep. Angie Craig, a Democrat who successfully flipped a red seat in 2018, noted she sees “a lot of energy” within the party’s base today, emphasizing that the party faithful had redirected their anger toward the ruling party.
“If you want to stop a policy that you disagree with, you're going to need Republicans to stand with us on those policies, and I think people are starting to get it,” she explained.
In contrast to 2017, Democrats in 2025 have encountered challenges rallying their base following Trump’s decisive victory last fall. The Democratic Party has experienced a sense of demoralization, leading to diminished influence on social media. Many potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders have largely maintained a low profile over the past two months.
Nonetheless, amid this struggle for messaging and strategy, the Democrats are witnessing a resurgence of grassroots enthusiasm in response to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency cuts to the federal workforce and House Republicans’ proposed Medicaid cuts.
“It’s the first thing that will be such an obvious big deal to voters,” commented Brian Stryker, a Democratic pollster working with candidates nationwide. “It’s a really big deal to voters, and the story isn’t complicated. They want to cut health care. There isn’t a complicated story on fiscal policy or process here.”
Some Republicans, particularly those representing swing districts, have expressed concern over significant reductions in Medicaid, food assistance programs, and other social safety-net initiatives. Steve Bannon, the former Trump adviser, cautioned on his War Room podcast about the potential backlash, emphasizing that many MAGA supporters rely on Medicaid.
House Speaker Mike Johnson stated on Monday that he would not yield to concerns from members but acknowledged that “everybody needs to understand that the resolution is merely the starting point for the process.”
“There’s nothing specific about Medicaid in the resolution,” Johnson clarified. “The legislation comes later, so this is the important first start.”
In comments last week, Trump assured Fox News that Medicare and Medicaid “none of that stuff is going to be touched.” However, just the following morning, he endorsed Johnson’s budget strategy.
In the wake of these developments, Democrats took the opportunity to respond.
“We're going to remind people what they stand for, what their values are, and that they aren't standing up for working families and they aren't standing up even for basic issues that they ran on in the last election,” observed Rep. Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The campaign battleground over Medicaid has already begun with ads in circulation. Protect Our Care, a liberal nonprofit, has launched $10 million worth of television and digital advertisements accusing Republican members of placing “Medicaid on the ‘chopping block.’”
“In 2017, the Republicans’ inability to effectively manage health care was detrimental to them, and they’re making the same mistake again,” asserted Dan Sena, who led the DCCC during the 2018 cycle. “This is an enormous pocketbook motivator for people to get out and vote against them months from now.”
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
Ahead of an upcoming budget vote scheduled for Tuesday, party leaders sent private messaging guidance to Democratic lawmakers, which was obtained by PMG. This guidance advised them to accuse Republicans of having “betray[ed] the middle class by cutting Medicaid while giving huge tax breaks to billionaire donors.” It also encouraged members to “localize” the impacts of these significant Medicaid cuts.
“It is critical that you make the damaging local impacts of this legislation real for the people you represent,” stated the memo shared on Monday.
This messaging strategy illustrates a shared understanding among Democrats that Medicaid presents a strong opportunity as they seek an effective approach to counter President Donald Trump and his Republican majorities in Congress. Early signs indicate that these budget votes, if they take place on Tuesday evening, could resonate strongly: Republican lawmakers were confronted by irate constituents at town halls last week, and protesters gathered at district offices in Arizona, California, Iowa, and Pennsylvania to oppose Medicaid cuts.
Moreover, internal polling within the party further supports the push to highlight GOP actions regarding Medicaid. A Democratic survey conducted in late January revealed that 81 percent of registered voters oppose cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, including 76 percent of Republicans, according to a presentation obtained by PMG.
House Majority PAC, the primary super PAC tied closely to House Democratic leadership, is also considering Medicaid-focused paid advertisements, as indicated by communications director C.J. Warnke. Additionally, several House Democrats are preparing a variety of Medicaid-focused content, particularly for social media, as noted by two strategists involved in the initiatives who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Democrats are spending a lot of time diagnosing their problem with working class voters, but can't ignore that one of the cures can come from this fight to protect Medicaid,” remarked Jesse Ferguson, a Democratic strategist.
Democrats expressed relief that recent protests and animated town halls were directed at Republicans, not them, after facing weeks of criticism for not providing a strong enough resistance to Trump.
“We need to put our anger where it belongs, and that's on the people who are hurting working Americans, and that is Trump and the Republicans who don't have the courage to stand up to him,” stated Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez.
Eight years prior, Democrats capitalized on Republican efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and the passage of a tax bill that GOP lawmakers are currently looking to extend. At that time, GOP members confronted outraged constituents during town halls, coupled with a barrage of Democratic advertisements targeting their votes. This led to the defeat of 29 Republican incumbents in the 2018 elections, allowing Democrats to regain control.
Rep. Angie Craig, a Democrat who successfully flipped a red seat in 2018, noted she sees “a lot of energy” within the party’s base today, emphasizing that the party faithful had redirected their anger toward the ruling party.
“If you want to stop a policy that you disagree with, you're going to need Republicans to stand with us on those policies, and I think people are starting to get it,” she explained.
In contrast to 2017, Democrats in 2025 have encountered challenges rallying their base following Trump’s decisive victory last fall. The Democratic Party has experienced a sense of demoralization, leading to diminished influence on social media. Many potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders have largely maintained a low profile over the past two months.
Nonetheless, amid this struggle for messaging and strategy, the Democrats are witnessing a resurgence of grassroots enthusiasm in response to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency cuts to the federal workforce and House Republicans’ proposed Medicaid cuts.
“It’s the first thing that will be such an obvious big deal to voters,” commented Brian Stryker, a Democratic pollster working with candidates nationwide. “It’s a really big deal to voters, and the story isn’t complicated. They want to cut health care. There isn’t a complicated story on fiscal policy or process here.”
Some Republicans, particularly those representing swing districts, have expressed concern over significant reductions in Medicaid, food assistance programs, and other social safety-net initiatives. Steve Bannon, the former Trump adviser, cautioned on his War Room podcast about the potential backlash, emphasizing that many MAGA supporters rely on Medicaid.
House Speaker Mike Johnson stated on Monday that he would not yield to concerns from members but acknowledged that “everybody needs to understand that the resolution is merely the starting point for the process.”
“There’s nothing specific about Medicaid in the resolution,” Johnson clarified. “The legislation comes later, so this is the important first start.”
In comments last week, Trump assured Fox News that Medicare and Medicaid “none of that stuff is going to be touched.” However, just the following morning, he endorsed Johnson’s budget strategy.
In the wake of these developments, Democrats took the opportunity to respond.
“We're going to remind people what they stand for, what their values are, and that they aren't standing up for working families and they aren't standing up even for basic issues that they ran on in the last election,” observed Rep. Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The campaign battleground over Medicaid has already begun with ads in circulation. Protect Our Care, a liberal nonprofit, has launched $10 million worth of television and digital advertisements accusing Republican members of placing “Medicaid on the ‘chopping block.’”
“In 2017, the Republicans’ inability to effectively manage health care was detrimental to them, and they’re making the same mistake again,” asserted Dan Sena, who led the DCCC during the 2018 cycle. “This is an enormous pocketbook motivator for people to get out and vote against them months from now.”
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
