Congressman Robert Aderholt has expressed strong support for Speaker Mike Johnson’s remarks on Medicaid misuse. His comments come in response to a report from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) highlighting how some non-working Medicaid recipients are spending their time.
“Speaker Johnson hit the nail on the head when he said Medicaid shouldn’t be going to ‘29-year-old males sitting on their couches playing video games.’ The American Enterprise Institute’s new analysis confirms it: many able-bodied Medicaid recipients who aren’t working are spending their time — not looking for jobs — but glued to screens,” Aderholt stated.
The AEI study reveals that non-working, childless Medicaid recipients spend an average of 4.2 hours daily watching TV and playing video games, equating to 125 hours monthly. This is time that could potentially be used for employment or skill development.
Estimates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, supported by data from AEI and the Congressional Budget Office, indicate that approximately 7 to 10 million able-bodied adults without dependents are enrolled in Medicaid, accounting for about one-tenth of all recipients nationwide.
Aderholt emphasized, “Let’s be clear: Medicaid was never meant to support a lifestyle of leisure for those who are fully capable of working. Spending the equivalent of over three full workweeks a month on video games and TV is not what hardworking taxpayers signed up to support.”
He added that these benefits should prioritize “the truly vulnerable — the disabled, low-income seniors, and struggling families.” He argues that when able-bodied adults opt out of work yet receive similar benefits, it undermines both the system and those genuinely in need.
Aderholt advocates for common sense work requirements, which reportedly have strong public backing with 78% approval. He remarked on Democratic opposition by saying, “The next time Democrats claim Republicans are ‘cutting Medicaid,’ just remember what they’re really defending: a system that gives taxpayer-funded healthcare to individuals who spend more than 120 hours a month on the couch. That’s not compassion — that’s recklessness.”
Concluding his statement, Aderholt pledged continued efforts alongside Speaker Johnson and Republican colleagues to reform the system: “We will continue fighting to protect Medicaid for those who genuinely need it — and to stop the abuse by those who don’t.”
