Politics and views in the United States.

House Republicans get closer to enacting billions in Medicaid cuts. The Israeli government says it'll resume humanitarian aid in Gaza, and Montana's governor signs a law tightening the voter registration window. 

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to 2025 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

The right thing to do is not to cut Medicaid.

It ought to be just a basic foundational principle.

It is wrong to cut health care for the working poor.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley says his Republican colleagues would deal a massive blow to the working class if they follow through with almost $900 billion in health care cuts.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted along party lines to slash Medicaid and send the cuts to the Budget Committee, where it'll be combined with other parts of President Donald Trump's agenda.

Disability demonstrators protested cuts for working and poor families and people with disabilities to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy.

Capitol Police say 26 were arrested.

Secretary Kristi Noem faced pointed questions from House Democrats about what Homeland Security is doing to return a Maryland man and American citizen children who've been deported, they say illegally.

Noem insists they're following court orders, but Texas Democrat Julie Johnson calls that disingenuous at best.

Initially, as you were proceeding through these deportation processes, you were not affording people due process, and the Supreme Court has now ordered you to do so.

Progressive Representative Rashida Tlaib joined activists protesting Israel's blockade of shipments into Gaza Wednesday.

But after two months of stopping food, water and medicine, the Israeli government now says it'll resume deliveries of humanitarian aid.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend a summit with Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey.

Trump says he hopes the meeting will lead to an immediate 30-day ceasefire in the three-year war.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte has signed a law tightening the windows for voter registration.

It moves the deadline for Election Day registration from 8 p.m. to noon and shortens the registration periods the week before.

Forward Montana's Zuri Moreno says that's bad for the many who have to drive long distances to vote.

We've already heard from the courts that you're not supposed to mess around with same-day voter registration, and it just takes away that opportunity for working folks and young folks and rural people across the state.

Last year, the state's Supreme Court ruled that banning same-day registration is unconstitutional.

Supporters of the National Endowment for the Humanities say cuts to the agency will hurt Americans' access to art and culture and break the law.

DOJ recommended firing nearly two-thirds of its staff, but Paula Krebs with the Modern Language Association says they're suing to restore the NEH's original legally binding mission.

We're aiming to roll back the effects of the DOJ cuts and the DOJ interference in the operations of the NEH and return the NEH to the functions that Congress has statutorily required it to serve.

I'm Alex Gonzalez for Pacific Network and Public News Service.

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