U.S. Rep. Evans defends federal budget proposal, despite threat of Medicaid cuts
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U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans. Photo: AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images
U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans exclusively tells Axios he stands behind a federal budget resolution that could prompt Medicaid cuts — even as it draws ire from within his suburban Denver district.
Catch up quick: Evans (R- Fort Lupton) joined fellow U.S. House Republicans last week in passing a budget resolution that calls for up to $2 trillion in spending cuts, including some that may come from Medicaid.
- The resolution calls on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which Evans sits on, to find at least $880 billion in mandatory cost cuts over the next 10 years.
Why it matters: This vote, just two months after Evans took office, could impact his 2026 reelection bid in Colorado's most competitive district and further jeopardize health care coverage for thousands of disabled and low-income people in the district.
By the numbers: Roughly 73,000 people in Evans' congressional district would be at risk of losing Medicaid for not meeting work requirements under the Republicans' proposal, according to an estimate from the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
- More than a quarter of his constituents are on Medicaid, per POLITICO.
Context: Evans tells us his vote is based on being a good steward of taxpayer money, seeking to eliminate cash spent on Medicaid members who have died or spent on covering costs for undocumented immigrants.
What they're saying: "We know that there is fraud, waste and abuse in the system that we have to be able to find so that we can actually save Medicaid for the people that need it," Evans tells us.
The intrigue: President Trump has said he won't back a budget bill reducing Medicaid, something Evans is using to guide his own decision.
- But the freshman congressman did not directly answer Axios when asked whether he would still support a bill that included language stipulating cuts to Medicaid.
The other side: Protesters gathered at Evans' Northglenn office over the past two weeks, demanding direct responses to both the budget vote and his support of Trump's policies.
- Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Justin Chermol in a statement criticized Evans' vote by calling potential Medicaid cuts "cruel and disastrous.
- Democratic state Rep. Manny Rutinel, who's challenging Evans for the congressional seat in 2026, in a statement said Americans "deserved better."
What's next: Evans did not say whether he plans to host a town hall in the near future, telling us he would be willing to only if it's "constructive."