In a recent development, Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) expressed confidence that he will have another opportunity to challenge the expansion of Medicaid, a move that was previously excluded from President Donald Trump's comprehensive domestic policy legislation. Johnson, seemingly assured by both the White House and Senate GOP leadership, anticipates a revival of discussions on the contentious proposal.

"I think I pretty well have a commitment. They’re going to do that,” Johnson remarked, referring to a potential reconsideration of the plan which aims to terminate the federal government’s 90 percent funding of new enrollees in states that adopted the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Despite his reservations about the deficit implications of the bill, Johnson voted in favor of Trump’s "big, beautiful bill," influenced by assurances regarding the Medicaid cuts. "Another reason why I definitely had to vote ‘yes,’ I would have just dealt myself out of being involved in that process. And I wanted to be highly involved in that process," he stated.

The proposed rollback was initially introduced by Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) as an amendment during the discussions on the GOP megabill. Co-sponsored by Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), the amendment suggested ending the 90 percent federal cost-share by the year 2030, reducing the reimbursement for new enrollees’ medical costs to rates as low as 50 percent. Proponents like Johnson, Crapo, and Scott argued that some states have manipulated Medicaid spending to attract additional federal dollars. The policy change was projected to reduce spending by approximately $313 billion, significantly impacting the overall cost of the legislative package.

However, the amendment did not proceed to a vote due to strong opposition from several moderate members of the legislature. Johnson’s renewed commitment to pursuing this cost-cutting measure reflects ongoing concerns among fiscal conservatives over the increasing national deficit.

While Johnson remains optimistic about revisiting the proposal, senior Republican figures in both the Capitol and the White House have denied any covert agreements to secure votes. Senator Rick Scott also indicated that discussions about including his proposal in future budget reconciliation packages are only just beginning.

A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has yet to comment on the matter.

Mia McCarthy contributed to this report.