Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Wednesday he plans to address entitlement reform, particularly Medicare and Medicaid, in 2018, according to The Hill.
Congressional Republicans are currently focused on passing tax reform legislation, but Mr. Ryan said the only way to truly trim the federal deficit is to cut these entitlements.
Medicare and Medicaid "are the big drivers of debt, so we [will] spend more time on the healthcare entitlements, because that's really where the problem lies, fiscally speaking," said Mr. Ryan, according to The Hill.
Though President Donald Trump promised during his campaign not to cut entitlements, Mr. Ryan has been speaking with him privately about making such cuts.
"I think the president is understanding choice and competition works everywhere, especially in Medicare," said Mr. Ryan, according to The Hill.