State lawmakers are foregoing budget caps to fund Medicaid.

But with Medicaid relying on two primary funding sources–and U.S. lawmakers poised to pass President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”--the future of low-income healthcare programs is uncertain.

Today on The Wheelhouse, America’s brittle social safety net hangs in the balance.

GUESTS:
Lisa Hagan, Federal Policy Reporter, CT Mirror and CT Public
Joan Alker, Reporter, Georgetown University
John Henry Smith, Host, All Things Considered, CT Public

State lawmakers are&nbsp;<a href="https://ctmirror.org/2025/05/16/ct-budget-spending-cap-fiscal-guardrails/">foregoing budget caps to fund Medicaid</a>.
But with Medicaid relying on two primary funding sources&ndash;and U.S. lawmakers poised to pass President Donald Trump&rsquo;s &ldquo;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/22/house-passes-trump-bill-congress/83747173007/">Big Beautiful Bill</a>&rdquo;--the future of low-income healthcare programs is uncertain.
Today on The Wheelhouse, America&rsquo;s brittle social safety net hangs in the balance.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/people/lisa-hagen-1">Lisa Hagan</a>, Federal Policy Reporter,&nbsp;CT Mirror&nbsp;and&nbsp;CT Public</li>
<li><a href="https://ccf.georgetown.edu/author/joan-alker/">Joan Alker</a>, Reporter,&nbsp;Georgetown University</li>
<li><a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/people/john-henry-smith">John Henry Smith</a>, Host, All Things Considered,&nbsp;CT Public</li>
</ul>

If you’re a news junkie — or maybe just news curious, we’ve got your weekly dose of Connecticut politics, tackling everything from tax cuts to human composting. Amplifying important local and national voices, The Wheelhouse walks listeners through the most important political stories of the week.  You’ll hear from well-known political reporters, academics, and local journalists across Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns.

If you’re a news junkie — or maybe just news curious, we’ve got your weekly dose of Connecticut politics, tackling everything from tax cuts to human composting. Amplifying important local and national voices, The Wheelhouse walks listeners through the most important political stories of the week.  You’ll hear from well-known political reporters, academics, and local journalists across Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns.

Connecticut's best journalists come out of the political trenches every Wednesday to join us on WNPR's weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse.