The U.S. Congress should enact steeper work requirements for Medicaid and food aid in a tax cut and spending plan being advanced by Republicans, four senior Trump administration officials said in a New York Times opinion column.

WASHINGTON – House Republicans defended a bill that would enact sweeping tax cuts, raise the debt ceiling, and add restrictions to benefit programs during a heated marathon day of committee hearings on Capitol Hill.

D.C. officials are cautiously optimistic after a lobbying and public pressure campaign, but they say other Medicaid changes still pose a threat.

Republicans' proposed Medicaid cuts will cause 8.6 million people to lose health insurance by 2034, an estimate shows. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said it will cost Republicans seats in Congress.

A growing number of House Republicans -- from moderates to hardliners -- are expressing grievances with key components of the megabill encompassing President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda -- threatening to undercut the package’s momentum ahead of an expected vote late next week.

A tax maneuver has been described by officials as a legal workaround used by states to secure inflated Medicaid funds.

Republican lawmakers are calling for work requirements, stricter eligibility verification and some co-pays.

The delayed implementation of certain provisions of the House Republicans’ megabill, specifically regarding Medicaid, has angered some Republican fiscal hawks. The new bill seeks to implement the perks of the fiscal plan now while pushing back the downsides,