Donald Trump is back in the White House, the GOP controls Congress, and Republicans have dusted off their 2017 plans to reshape Medicaid.

WASHINGTON – House Republicans defended a bill that would enact sweeping tax cuts, raise the debt ceiling, and add restrictions to benefit programs during a heated marathon day of committee hearings on Capitol Hill.

Fiscal hawks are lashing out over what they say are the lack of Medicaid reforms in President Trump’s legislative package, which could thwart the House GOP’s goal of passing the legislation next

A growing number of House Republicans -- from moderates to hardliners -- threaten to undercut the package’s momentum ahead of an expected vote late next week.

Republican lawmakers are calling for work requirements, stricter eligibility verification and some co-pays.

Gov. Josh Shapiro is warning that cuts to Medicaid health care would mean people losing access to the program and more rural hospitals shutting their doors.

Looming cuts to Medicaid are much greater, with the federal Congressional Budget Office projecting this week that some 8.6 million Americans could lose Medicaid coverage in the coming decade with at least another 5.1 million losing expanded Affordable Care Act Medicaid coverage due to new restrictions, including work requirements.

WASHINGTON – House Republicans plan to enact work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks for Medicaid, according to a proposal released late on May 11 by a key GOP-led committee.

Republicans and Democrats grew weary in the early hours of Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill as they slogged through at-times contentious debate over provisions in President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending cuts package.