Last night, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a motion to instruct conferees to the budget resolution conference committee to protect Medicaid funding. By a vote of 348 - 72, the House approved Rep. Stephanie Herseth's (D-SD) motion to the budget resolution conferees that Medicaid funding should not be cut through the reconciliation process. This vote puts a majority of both the House and Senate on record as opposing such cuts. Despite this, GOP leadership negotiators seem ready to sign-off on a deal on the budget resolution that would cut Medicaid funding by $10 billion over the next five years among other reductions to mandatory spending programs. Senate Budget Committee Chair Judd Gregg (R-NH) is pushing Congress to pass a budget resolution before the upcoming congressional recess at the end of this week. Gregg has said if an agreement is not reached this week, it becomes very difficult for Congress to pass a resolution. It is possible floor votes on the budget resolution could begin as early as tomorrow, but it is not assured it will pass in either the House or the Senate.