[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 110 (Thursday, June 26, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H2975-H2976]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   OPPOSING PROVIDER TAX RESTRICTIONS IN THE GOP RECONCILIATION BILL

  (Ms. Barragan of California was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Ms. BARRAGAN. Mr. Speaker, Senate Republicans are making Donald 
Trump's big, ugly bill even uglier with steeper cuts to Medicaid that 
will leave more kids, parents, and seniors without healthcare. This is 
all so they can reward their billionaire donors with even bigger tax 
breaks.
  This bill would deeply cut Medicaid and hurt our most vulnerable. 
Don't take my word for it. Republican Senator Thom Tillis shared this 
chart on the State-by-State impact of Senate Republicans' newest cuts.
  Do you live in North Carolina? If you do, you stand to lose $38.9 
billion and kick up to 600,000 people off Medicaid. Many States, 
including Republican States, lose tens of billions of dollars in 
Medicaid funding.
  How about Virginia? Virginia will lose $24.8 billion. Louisiana, the 
Speaker's home State, will lose $20 billion. South Carolina will lose 
$20 billion. States with small budgets would get hammered.
  Iowa loses $4.1 billion. What did Senator Ernst from Iowa have to say 
about it? She is not concerned. She says: ``Well, we all are going to 
die.''
  Kentucky loses about $12 billion. What does Senator Mitch McConnell 
have to say about that? He says: ``They'll get over it.''
  What?
  Are you, the American people, going to just get over losing your 
healthcare so that a billionaire can buy a bigger yacht? Do you want to 
die young in the emergency room so that a Fortune 500 company can add a 
few more seats to their private jet?
  Here is what Senate Republicans are doing that caused Senator Tillis 
to make this chart. Right now, States use a variety of tools to help 
pay for their share of Medicaid, which is the health insurance program 
for low-income families, children, seniors, and people with 
disabilities.
  One of the most important tools is called a provider tax. That is 
when hospitals or health plans agree to pay a small tax to keep 
Medicaid running. In return, the Federal Government matches those 
dollars. It is a Federal-State partnership that keeps hospitals open, 
staff paid, and patients covered, but the Senate Republican bill would 
limit how much States can use that tool. It puts new restrictions on 
States that expanded Medicaid to low-income people, saying they can't 
collect as much from hospitals or health insurance companies as they do 
now.
  It means the Federal Government would be telling States that you 
can't use the money you have depended on for years to keep Medicaid 
going. That is going to cause a lot of damage. Hospitals would lose 
funding. States will face bigger budget gaps.
  What happens then? You will see cuts: cuts to healthcare, cuts to 
services, and cuts to the very people who need help the most. This 
means tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars lost. Those are not 
just numbers on a page. Those are real people losing health insurance. 
Those are real patients getting turned away and real communities, 
especially rural and low-income communities, being left behind.
  This morning, the Senate Parliamentarian ruled that these provider 
tax restrictions cannot be included as drafted, but this fight is still 
very real.
  We have seen Republicans rework the text of these radical cuts to get 
the Parliamentarian's approval, and at least one House Republican 
suggested today that they just ignore what this Parliamentarian has 
said.
  I have no doubt that the plan Republicans come up with will slash 
Medicaid and devastate hospitals to fund their tax breaks.
  Now a few Republicans here in the House have said these new cuts go 
too

[[Page H2976]]

far. Yet, are they really willing to stand up for their constituents 
and vote ``no'' if the Senate sends over these deep cuts? I am not 
going to hold my breath because Republicans have already caved last 
month and voted to kick millions of people off Medicaid. House 
Democrats and Senate Democrats are united to stop this big, ugly bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Republicans in Congress to join us to do the 
right thing and oppose this bill. Republicans should stand up for 
hospitals, stand up for patients, and stand up for the millions of 
Americans who count on Medicaid every day.

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