Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) has introduced the Medicaid Funds Integrity Act to prevent taxpayer dollars going to promote a gun control agenda.
The push led by Rep. Clyde comes as several states have begun utilizing Medicaid to finance community-based violence intervention programs.
These efforts gained traction after the Biden Administration issued executive orders enabling Medicaid to cover services like “firearm safety counseling.”
While proponents argue that these measures address the root causes of gun violence, critics see them as a misuse of taxpayer dollars to promote a gun control agenda.
This underscores the broader debate over Medicaid’s ever-evolving role in public health.
Since 2021, seven states have enacted laws allowing Medicaid to cover “gun violence prevention initiatives.”
Hunter King, Director of Government Relations for the National Association for Gun Rights, had this to say about Clyde’s bill:
“Allowing federal funds to support gun violence prevention programs under Medicaid is a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars, aimed at advancing radical gun control agendas. Medicaid’s purpose is to provide vital healthcare, not to fund programs that infringe on Second Amendment rights. Federal resources should be focused on their intended mission, not diverted to backdoor attempts at restricting lawful gun ownership.”
Read more at NewsWeek.
