Senator Cornyn

Cornyn Statement on Biden Admin.’s Reversal of Their Reversal of Texas’ Medicaid Waiver

April 22, 2022

I’m glad they’ve now reversed themselves, but this was a boneheaded move that could have cost lives.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after the Biden Administration’s Center for Medicaid Services (CMS) Director reversed their earlier decision to rescind Texas’ previously-approved 1115 waiver and put the health of low-income and uninsured Texans in jeopardy in an effort to force the state to accept Medicaid expansion:

“Medicaid funding is vital for Texas’ most vulnerable, and the Biden Administration’s original decision put their care in jeopardy. This move would have been damaging during normal times, but following two unprecedented years for health care providers and patients it was downright ruthless.

“The folks most hurt by this – which the Administration admitted was purely political – were the low income and uninsured Texans who depend on the Medicaid safety net. I’m glad the Administration has now reversed themselves, but this was a boneheaded move that could have cost lives.”

Last year, Sen. Cornyn put a Hold on the nomination of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services over the Biden Administration’s original decision to rescind Texas’ 1115 waiver. Director Brooks-LaSure was later confirmed by a narrow margin.