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With the GOP tax plan contributing to rising federal deficits, Democrats are warning that Republicans will seek cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to balance budgets if they keep control of Congress in the November election. It's a familiar message for Democrats, who have for years campaigned on the idea that Republicans want to gut the "entitlement" programs. Republicans say they want to put those benefit programs on better financial footing and tame the deficit. (Mascaro, 10/17)

“A vote for Republican candidates in this election is a vote to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid,” argued Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). Van Hollen and other Democrats pounced on comments from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, in which the top Senate Republican blamed social programs for the growing deficit and said he hoped Congress would tackle spending on them “at some point here.” The Democrats’ alarm bells about deficits, which are reaching $1 trillion annually, came three weeks ahead of midterm elections that will decide control of Congress. President Trump himself expressed new concern about government spending Wednesday, telling members of his Cabinet that they should plan to cut 5 percent from their agencies’ budgets while offering few details except to say the Pentagon budget would largely be spared. As reporters looked on, Trump promised the cuts will “have a huge impact.” (Werner, Paletta and Weigel, 10/17)

President Trump on Wednesday asked every major cabinet agency to draw up proposals to cut its budget by 5 percent next year, adding he could grant some exemptions to his request and suggesting he would not ask the Pentagon to cut the full 5 percent. “Get rid of the fat, get rid of the waste,” Trump said at a meeting with cabinet members. “I’m sure everybody at this table can do it.” ... Trump’s comments came one day after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said a much different approach was needed to address the deficit. McConnell blamed programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security for driving the deficit, but he said changes to those programs can’t happen unless Democrats took control of either the House or the Senate, because it would take leadership from both parties. (Paletta and Kim, 10/17)

“There’s been a bipartisan reluctance to tackle entitlement changes because of the popularity of those programs,” Mr. McConnell told Bloomberg News. “Hopefully at some point here we’ll get serious about this. We haven’t been yet.” (Hughes and Rubin, 10/17)