CBC to Obama: Protect Medicaid funds in fiscal deal

{mosads}Answers to the fiscal crisis that “target millions of our nation’s most vulnerable residents … is not a fair or just solution,” the caucus wrote.

The letter puts pressure on the White House to shield the mechanism only a few days before a package of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts are scheduled to go into effect, and is the latest maneuver in an ongoing effort by congressional liberals to press the White House to preserve Medicaid in its current form in negotiations with conservatives.

While liberals have called for increased taxes in order to close the gap between spending and raised revenues, conservatives have argued that the problem is excess spending, and want to reform federal entitlement programs like Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security as part of any deficit agreement.