(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he supports work requirements for some Medicaid recipients, and confirms he’d at least consider cutting spending on the nation’s public health insurance program for low-income residents by 800-billion dollars — or more.

Congress is working to find common ground on a plan to cut spending in order to pay for President Trump’s plans to extend tax cuts, and to boost spending on defense. Grassley was asked for specifics on the Medicaid work requirements.

About 673-thousand people are covered by Medicaid in Iowa. If you’re able to work, you should be working, Grassley says, adding, most people who have health insurance get it through their employer. He says there would be a long list of Medicaid recipients who would -not- have to work.

Grassley says the work requirement proposal could save the federal government tens of billions of dollars, perhaps 200-billion. He says Medicaid recipients wouldn’t necessarily have to take full-time jobs.

The State of Iowa has already asked the Trump Administration to approve a work requirement plan for some of the Iowa adults enrolled in Medicaid. Governor Kim Reynolds said it’s about “promoting a culture of work” among “able-bodied” adults under age of 65 who get government-paid insurance coverage. The waiver request would require at least 100 hours of work per month.