Of the $16.4 billion annual Medicaid costs for Louisiana, state taxpayers kick in about $3 billion, according to the Legislature. The new law would halt some of the tools Louisiana uses to pay that $3 billion, requiring the state to pour in extra money or let some people go without health insurance.

Rep. Mark Amodei, a Republican, called President Trump's budget bill a balancing act that reins in excessive Medicaid spending.

Rep. Don Bacon defended Trump's $4 trillion tax bill, arguing its middle-class benefits while addressing GOP concerns over Medicaid cuts and mounting deficit fears.