Democrats in Congress have warned that the GOP tax bill would cut Medicare if passed.

Verdict: Unsubstantiated

If the tax bill passes and nothing else is done before the end of the year, it would trigger an automatic budget cut to Medicare and other services. But Republicans will try to pass additional legislation to prevent any cuts.

Fact Check:

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) warned Congress last month that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, if enacted, would trigger automatic budget cuts mandated by the pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) budget rule.

The rule requires offsets to federal spending when Congress passes legislation that would add to the deficit. Because the tax plan is expected to add $1.5 trillion to the deficit over the next 10 years, the government would be required to cut spending by $136 billion in fiscal year 2018. This would include a $25 billion cut to Medicare.

But it’s not a given that the cuts will happen. Congress can waive the PAYGO requirements if it acts before the end of the year, and Republicans have expressed that they intend to do so.

“I have written correspondence that memorializes the agreement that the four percent cut in Medicare that could go into effect will not go into effect,” Republican Sen. Susan Collins said on “Face the Nation” Sunday. “I’m absolutely confident. I have it in writing, a statement by both Mitch McConnell and Speaker Ryan.”

Collins noted that the PAYGO requirement has been waived 16 times in the past. Waiving the requirements for the tax bill, however, will be more difficult than in the past.