Independent Senator Angus King calls GOP budget proposal "heartless"

As the U.S. Senate takes up the Congressional House Republican's budget bill, Maine Independent Senator Angus King sums it up this way:

"Somewhere between disastrous and catastrophic," he said.

King said the bill would kick tens of thousands of Mainers off of Medicaid health insurance because of work requirements and other changes. And he said that most able-bodied adults enrolled in the program already work.

"My concern is that in the pursuit of eliminating one fraudster, we may be eliminating coverage for 5 people that need it," he said.

King points to Arkansas, which was the first state to institute Medicaid work requirements in 2018. A study found that 18,000 people lost coverage, mostly due to red tape, and the program didn't significantly increase employment.

"To save money by k