ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: The House voted this morning to pass its reconciliation bill, how did you vote?

ROB WITTMAN: Yeah, I voted “yes” to pass the bill.

I thought it had good, necessary reforms to make sure that Medicaid is sustainable, to make sure, too, that we're doing the things necessary to protect our vulnerable populations and make sure that they have access to those benefits.

The same, too, with making sure that we provide sustainability for this nation's energy.

I'm on the Armed Services Committee, so making sure we're modernizing our military in face of the threats that we have.

Making sure, too, that our working families continue to enjoy, you know, the lower tax rates, because if not the average family in the 1st Congressional District would see a $2,300 increase in their federal tax bill if we didn't pass it.

So we had a lot of good provisions in the bill.

ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: You talk about protecting vulnerable people on Medicaid.

How in your mind does this bill do that?

ROB WITTMAN: For me, this is personal.

You know, I am adopted.

At eight months of age the Children's Home Society of Virginia provided an opportunity for my birth mother to make sure that I had a great home, and I did.

So for me, I know how important it is to make sure that expectant mothers, have access to health care, that children have access.

Individuals with disabilities, seniors.

And we know that as Medicaid continues in the years to come, it faces some challenges.

So what this does is to make sure the resources are going to be there for those folks that rely on Medicaid.

ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: I've seen estimates, from the Commonwealth Institute and other organizations that this bill could remove Medicaid coverage from about 250,000 Virginians.

What would you say to people who hear those estimates and may be concerned about losing coverage?

ROB WITTMAN: Well, I can assure folks that if you're in those vulnerable populations, your coverage is going to continue.

There will be no interruptions there.

The changes that are made is to make sure that there are work requirements for those folks that are able to work, and if you're not able to work, or if you have children at home, or parents at home or if you have a physical disability, you're not going to be required to go to work.

But if you are able bodied, you're going to be required to either go to work, or to train to go to work or to volunteer.

So we provide lots of opportunities there.

And if you meet any of those criteria, then you are not going to be required to show that you go to work and you'll still continue to receive Medicaid.

For those folks that are here undocumented, this system is designed for U.S. citizens.

So if you're here and undocumented, you will not receive Medicaid.

Also, if you're deceased, just make sense, we don't want deceased individuals on the Medicaid rolls.

Those are resources that need to go for people in need.

If you're dual enrolled, if you're in two states and unfortunately receiving benefits in both states, we're going to make sure that we take out that duality of those individuals that are receiving benefits.

So it is really getting after waste, fraud and abuse.

It's also making sure, too, that the system is functioning for those people that it's designed for.

Remember, this is designed for our vulnerable populations.

And as we have more people that come onto the Medicaid rolls, we have to make sure that the resources are there as these individuals come onto the rolls.

ADRIENNE HOAR McGIBBON: What do you say to folks who argue that this is just adding barriers to folks who are in need of care?

ROB WITTMAN: Well, listen, this is an incredibly- a simple process.

So it's not creating barriers.

It's just making sure that, we have very, very high accuracy in the rolls of people receiving Medicaid.

We want to do that.

We want to make sure that those dollars are there.

And having that high level of accuracy there, assures that those resources will be there, not only now, but in the future.