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Striking and spot-on from a blue-state governor: “Democrats should not shy away from talking about accountability and outcomes,” Kotek said in an interview. “That’s a winning message.” Similar themes from several other folks, including me.

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The bills suspend work requirements based on high unemployment only when the rate gets extraordinarily high: if the national unemployment rate is 7.5%, and the county rate is 11%, the requirements apply.

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Under the bill, the process of getting removed from Medicaid takes about three months. But when unemployment gets above 7 percent, most people need more than three months to find their next job. So if they're just looking for work, they'll lose their Medicaid.

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"Work program" is a term of art. Big ones have shrunken for decades, more since January. The bill provides no funding for them. There's no reason to think most people will be able to get into them even if they try. It's not clear why should they need to, if they just want to look for work.

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To meet the new law's "community engagement" requirement, a person has to work, do community service, go to school half-time, be in an approved "work program," or do a mix of the above, for 80 hours a month. If an unemployed worker just wants to look for work, that's not good enough.

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Robert Gordon @robertgo.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

Millions of working people rely on Medicaid. If they are laid off, spending all day every day looking for a job will not be good enough to meet new work requirements. If they take too long to find a new job--which most people will, when unemployment is high--they'll lose their health care. 1/x

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Good vibes and good question in Alexandria today

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Reposted by Robert Gordon

Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

Here’s a New York Times photo of the Chicago “No Kings” rally. NYT said the march that followed spanned at least 10 blocks.

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Robert Gordon @robertgo.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

Got my copy today. The kids are fighting over who gets to read it first. Gonna be me—very excited.

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Robert Gordon @robertgo.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

I don't think welfare reform in 1996 is a cause of Medicaid cuts today. They want to cut Medicaid and will do it one way or another. And esp now, progressives don't need to win an argument against work requirements in principle. This is work requirements for health care and food, for families.

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But compared to the 1996 debate, the argument for Medicaid work requirements is worse on the merits and the evidence since. There is legit space for people to say they supported welfare reform then but don't support what's on offer now, as I said in @delaneyrules.bsky.social's piece.

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what a treat to see your name! hope all is well, at least personally.

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I didn't support welfare reform at the time, but it was a closer question than the work requirements in the House reconciliation bill.

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The Long Shadow Of Bill Clinton Over The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’

On a bad welfare reform analogy: It's not, "‘Oh, I’m not going to earn cash because I am getting it already.’ Instead, it’s, ‘I’m not going to earn cash because I have health insurance.’ It’s a much weaker theory of the case... and it is wrong,” Gordon said. www.huffpost.com/entry/work-r...

huffpost.com

Republicans are using the former president as a shield against Democratic attacks on work requirements.

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Reposted by Robert Gordon

Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

Notable statements from a former Israeli Prime Minister.

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Robert Gordon @robertgo.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

Wild that the Supreme Court now makes major rulings in two-page squibs that don’t even bother w dissents. Almost like a Trump EO

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Reposted by Robert Gordon

Olivia Golden @ogolden-policy.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Read this deeply reported piece by @citizencohn.bsky.social on the repeated failure of so-called "work requirements" for Medicaid. Thx to @robertgo.bsky.social for explaining your MI experience & Georgia Budget & Policy Center @gbpp.bsky.social for studying results in GA. @clasp.org

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Robert Gordon @robertgo.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

Democrats have many reasons to oppose DOGE, but so do Republicans. @jdmatsudaira.bsky.social and I wrote about how House GOP student aid proposals require a Department of Education that DOGE has destroyed. www.chronicle.com/article/on-s...

chronicle.com

Opinion | On Student Aid, It’s Congressional Republicans vs. DOGE

Accountability measures require a strong Department of Education.

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Reposted by Robert Gordon

The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 14/05/2025

“Trump is cagey about whether he might try to stay in office after his current term expires,” writes Richard Primus. If the president’s goals conflict with the law, “he will disregard the project of the law as long as he can get away with it”:

bit.ly

Outsmarting the Constitution

Trump’s approach to a possible third term in office reveals his approach toward American law more generally.

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Reposted by Robert Gordon

Randy Rosso @fooddatanerd.com · 14/05/2025

Of all the bad SNAP and Medicaid “reform” proposals I’ve seen in 30 years of working on this stuff, the cost shift is the worst. It’s not reform, it’s a bomb.

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Robert Gordon @robertgo.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

The cost shift to states from these SNAP and Medicaid cuts is terrible for the people who depend on them …. And bad news for anyone who depends on state funding for education, or public safety, or transportation. Which is everyone. www.cbpp.org/research/foo...

cbpp.org

House Agriculture Committee Proposal Would Worsen Hunger, Hit State Budgets Hard | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

The House Agriculture Committee reconciliation bill would radically alter the structure of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by requiring states to pay a portion of food benefi...

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Read @crampell.bsky.social's excellent column on the GOP plan to cut Medicaid and SNAP (with a quote from yours truly)

washingtonpost.com

Opinion | Now might be exactly the worst time to cut Medicaid and food stamps

Cutting the safety net could prolong an economic recession.

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While it's possible HHS will still get these grants out the door, it seems likelier they will kill most of the NOFOs and impound the funds. Many of the grants come would have come from the Administration for Community Living, which is being dissolved. 3/4

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A few examples: - "Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative - Dementia Capability in Indian Country" was supposed to post April 14 "National HIV Clinical Training for Residents Program" was supposed to post on April 18 "Tribal Behavioral Health: Substance Use Prevention" was due for May 1. 2/4

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DOGE took over clearing HHS grant announcements a month ago. Guess how many new announcements the agency has posted since then? Zero. Ten were supposed to go up between April 11 and today, but none have. 1/4

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Medicaid work requirements will inevitably cause massive coverage losses among people who did nothing wrong. But the time and money required from states will still be huge. The opportunity cost will still be huge. And many states will do a much worse job than Michigan.

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