SETBACK: House GOP Moderates Tell Leadership They Won’t Back Senate Tax Bill Over Medicaid Cuts – The Hill
More than a dozen House Republicans warned they won’t support the Senate’s version of the tax and spending bill because the proposed Medicaid cuts are too steep.
Led by Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), 15 other vulnerable Republicans sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson R-LA) saying they support the Medicaid reforms in the House version of the legislation, but the Senate Finance Committee proposal went too far, according to The Hill.
“Protecting Medicaid is essential for the vulnerable constituents we were elected to represent. Therefore, we cannot support a final bill that threatens access to coverage or jeopardizes the stability of our hospitals and providers,” the lawmakers wrote. “The House’s approach reflects a more pragmatic and compassionate standard, and we urge that it be retained in the final bill.”
Unlike the House bill, the Senate Finance Committee draft includes a significant cut to the taxes states can levy on medical providers. States impose taxes on providers to boost their federal Medicaid contributions, which they then direct back to hospitals in the form of higher reimbursements.
