[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 132 (Thursday, July 31, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S4958]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                            Rural Hospitals

  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, let me bring up what I heard the 
minority leader say yesterday. Yesterday, he came to this floor, and 
when he left the floor, he went out to hold a press conference. At that 
point, the minority leader bragged--bragged--that the Democrats were 
introducing a bill to repeal the entire healthcare section of the One 
Big Beautiful Bill.
  Here is what the minority leader won't tell you: The Democrats' plan 
would eliminate--completely eliminate--the $50 billion designated for 
rural hospitals all across our country. The minority leader will not 
tell you that or anything about it because he prefers to focus on fear 
rather than the facts.
  Republicans created this rural hospital fund because rural hospitals 
are in trouble.
  In the last decade since ObamaCare became law, over 100 rural 
hospitals across the country have closed. Only 10 new ones have opened. 
Hundreds more are now at risk of closing due to the financial strain. 
The $50 billion rural hospital fund was created to address just this 
crisis. Every single Democrat voted against helping rural hospitals. 
Now they want to eliminate the fund designed to help our rural 
hospitals regardless of the damage that it will do to healthcare all 
across America. With their actions yesterday here in the U.S. Senate, 
Democrats would make our healthcare system weaker--weaker--for those 
who need it the most.