“House Republicans’ attempt to curb Medicaid as part of President Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ tax-and-spending bill has opened up a constellation of intraparty fights that are complicating the GOP-controlled Congress’s efforts to advance the sweeping legislation,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The fight over Medicaid—how deeply and quickly to trim the program that serves more than 70 million people—helped snarl progress Friday on getting the megabill to the House floor. Spending-hawk holdouts on the Budget Committee blocked the measure, setting the stage for further talks into the weekend. But even if the bill makes it through the House by leaders’ self-imposed Memorial Day deadline, more battles are expected in the Senate.”

Washington Post: “Operatives at the National Republican Congressional Committee and consultants working on House races think vulnerable Republican House members should simplify their message and argue they are rooting out fraud and abuse inside the health-care program to ensure it serves the Americans who need it the most, instead of just weathering attacks that the Republican-backed catchall bill working its way through Congress represents dramatic cuts to Medicaid.”

“Florida has become the second state to officially ban fluoride in public water,” NBC News reports.

Gov. Ron DeSantis called the fluoridation of water “forced medication,” saying it violates “informed consent.”

Tampa Bay Times: “The move to block fluoride has been decried by major health organizations, who warn that it would negatively affect residents’ health.”

“President Donald Trump’s new pick for surgeon general wrote in a recent book that people should consider using unproven psychedelic drugs as therapy and in a newsletter suggested her use of mushrooms helped her find a romantic partner,” the AP reports.

“Dr. Casey Means’ recommendation to consider guided psilocybin-assisted therapy is notable because psilocybin is illegal under federal law.”

“I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me.”

— Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., quoted by the Washington Post.

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said during Wednesday testimony before a House panel that he would “probably” vaccinate his child for measles, if he had one today, Axios reports.

New York Times: “Kennedy had several sharp exchanges with lawmakers in his first testimony before Congress since becoming health secretary.”

Politico: “The Medicaid portions of the GOP megabill would lead to 10.3 million people losing coverage under the health safety net program and 7.6 million people going uninsured, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.”

“This was the fulcrum of Bernie Sanders’ runs for the presidency. I have a couple of kids who are Democrats and big Bernie Sanders fans, and when I told them this was going to happen, they had tears in their eyes.”

— Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., quoted by the Financial Times, on President Trump’s plan to slash U.S. drug prices.

“Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went for a swim in Rock Creek yesterday,” the Washingtonian reports.

“Health officials typically advise avoid swimming in that DC waterway, because sewage from the city’s aging system flows into it. The problem is particularly bad after rains, but even during dry spells, the bacteria count in Rock Creek is alarmingly high.”

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), writing in the New York Times:

“It’s safe to say the Trump coalition was not pulling the lever for Medicaid cuts in November…”

“Many of my House and Senate colleagues keep pushing for substantial cuts, and the House will begin to hash out its differences in negotiations this week… Republicans need to open their eyes: Our voters support social insurance programs. More than that, our voters depend on those programs.”

“President Trump on Sunday said he would sign an executive order aimed at lowering the cost of prescription drugs, looking to implement a policy that ties U.S. drug prices to what other countries pay,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Trump said he would be instituting a policy known as ‘Most Favored Nation,’ wherein the U.S. government pays prices for drugs that are tied to the prices paid by other countries. Many other countries pay lower prices for medications because their single-payer healthcare systems negotiate for deals.”

“He didn’t specify whether the order would apply to Medicare, Medicaid or other government programs.”

The only problem with the proposal is the president cannot set prices by executive order.

“House Republicans are releasing their plan to cut Medicaid spending, with the program’s defenders in the GOP appearing to win the intraparty clash over how aggressively to change the system that provides health insurance to more than 70 million low-income and disabled people,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“A section-by-section summary of the bill text includes some of the changes Republicans have weighed for Medicaid, including work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks. But it doesn’t lower the minimum share the federal government contributes to Medicaid in each state, cap per-person federal spending in the program or other steps some spending hawks sought.”

“The measles outbreak has surpassed 1,000 cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Friday, a grim milestone that has only been achieved twice in the last 30 years,” Politico reports.

NPR: “Public health workers feel demoralized, and say the sweeping cuts, made with seemingly little consideration for how the CDC operates, have decreased the nation’s ability to track and respond to health threats. It leaves Americans more vulnerable to a host of dangers from lead poisoning to asthma, some cancers, toxic chemicals and deadly infectious diseases among other things.”

Said Dr. Anne Schuchat, a former acting director at CDC:  “It’s a five-alarm fire. The kinds of changes that are happening are going to take decades to recover from, and many people will die because of these interruptions.”

President Trump’s major announcement coming Monday, which he previously teased as “truly earth-shattering,” will be a “most favored nation” drug-pricing policy, CBS News reports.