As Republicans face criticism for slashing Medicaid, Hawley tried to shift the focus to a less-noticed part of the law that will benefit victims of nuclear waste.

When reached by Newsweek, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said, "President Trump made a clear pledge: no cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security. The One, Big, Beautiful only addresses waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid with commonsense reforms like popular work requirements and eligibility verification."

It also takes aim at Medicaid, the federal and state health program that covered 78.6 million low-income children and adults as of March 2025, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.