Lisa Murkowski made some news, as Republicans so easily can, when she stated the obvious at some gathering in her state.
Sorry that I have so little sympathy for her plight. People are afraid because of policies and politicians that she’s supported. If they betrayed her, then do something about that betrayal: join the Democratic Party. Of all the politicians in the Senate or House, Murkowski’s switch would be the easiest. She’s a popular brand in Alaska. She’s won elections as an independent. Other popular Democrats have won statewide elections (Peltola lost last cycle but young Begitch has been stinking up the place and she might flip AK-AL next cycle).
Under the “little more action” (very little) heading is the next piece of news:
Colorado Rep. Jeff Hurd signed a letter with a group of lawmakers Monday urging fellow Republicans in the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives to preserve and strengthen Medicaid.
The letter made clear the group’s support for the final budget bill hinges on the issue.
“We cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations,” it said.
The letter comes as a budget blueprint, which could contain steep Medicaid cuts, makes its way through Congress. The federal-state program covers more than a million Coloradans, about a fifth of the population.
Hurd represents the R+5 CO-3 district, which is basically all of Colorado west of the Rockies, swinging east to pick up Pueblo. This is the district that Boebert abandoned because she was afraid of getting beat. Unlike the more populous and prosperous Front Range, this district has 31% of the population on Medicaid.
Of course, the promise in the letter is contingent on the interpretation of “vulnerable populations” and also on how afraid Hurd and the other 11 co-signers are of Trump’s threats come budget reconciliation time. Here are the other cosigners:
Republican Rep | District | PVI |
|---|---|---|
David Valadao | CA-23 | R+1 |
Don Bacon | NE-2 | D+3 |
Jefferson Van Drew | NJ-2 | R+5 |
Rob Breshnahan | PA-8 | R+4 |
Juan Ciscomani | AZ-6 | EVEN |
Jen Riggans | VA-2 | EVEN |
Young Kim | CA-40 | R+1 |
Rob Wittman | VA-1 | R+3 |
Nicole Malliotakis | NY-11 | R+10 |
Nick LaLota | NY-1 | R+4 |
Andrew Garbarino | NY-10 | R+6 |
If 2026 is a wave election driven in part by Medicaid cuts, these guys are all out the door. Let’s see how seriously they want to hold on to their seats.
