A Democratic Congressman criticized a CNN commentator who attempted to defend the GOP's proposed work requirement for Medicaid, arguing on behalf of caregivers covered by the federal program.
Jennings: It also includes work requirements for people who choose not to work.
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 10, 2025
Torres: The nonworking population is mostly students and caregivers.
Jennings: You want to encourage people to work
Torres: The caregivers are working much harder than you are pic.twitter.com/DgkcbK30vx
New York Representative Ritchie Torres appeared on CNN's NewsNight on Wednesday, hosted by Abby Phillip, in conversation with conservative commentator Scott Jennings and various other guests. During the program, Torres got into a heated discussion with Jennings regarding the proposed work requirement for Medicaid.
The two men began by discussing the recently passed Trump-backed "big, beautiful" tax and spending bill.
"If the bill surgically targets fraud, waste, and abuse, then why would it be necessary to set up a $50 billion fund for rural hospitals?" Torres said. "Something does not add up here."
"According to the [Congressional Budget Office], which you deny the existence of, apparently, almost five million people, who choose not to work, would be—" Jennings attempted to respond
"That is false," the New York legislator interrupted. "That is like a figment of your imagination."
"It's literally right here," Jennings said as he held up his phone.
Torres then claimed that the "percentage of people who choose not to work is less than 1 percent," as Jennings responded, "I'm not giving you a percentage."
"Republicans want to encourage people to work," Jennings told Torres. "You want to encourage people to be government-dependent."
"The caregivers are working much harder than you are," Torres told Jennings.
Jennings, who has been an on-air contributor at CNN since 2017, has repeatedly claimed that the almost 5 million able-bodied Medicaid recipients "simply choose not to work" and "spend six hours a day socializing and watching television." These statements have been rated as false by PolitiFact.
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