There's a mid-March deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown, and hesitation is surfacing among congressional Republicans about potential cuts to Medicaid.

The possibility of Medicaid cuts has become a headache for the most vulnerable Republicans in Congress — and has handed Democrats a potent issue ahead of 2026 elections.

In theory, the budget, which kicks off the process of passing an extension of tax cuts enacted in 2017 and up to $2 trillion in spending cuts meant to partly offset them, could become law without significant cuts to Medicaid. But it won’t be easy.