Many Republican members of Congress have been leery of cuts to Medicaid, afraid of being tarred by Democratic attack ads. The recently released House Energy and Commerce Committee draft proposals should help them rest more easily because they avoid the classic Republican mistake: appearing to care more about saving money than saving lives.

Democrats have accused the GOP of being cruel to the average citizen since the Great Depression. President Herbert Hoover resisted direct federal aid to the unemployed, arguing it would cost too much and irretrievably damage “the American system” of government.