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House Republicans were stuck in a holding pattern late Wednesday as leadership tried to win over a handful of conservatives and some moderates to support President Trump’s tax cut bill. |
The legislation passed out of the Senate on Tuesday as members raced through the legislative process to meet Trump’s self-imposed July 4 deadline. Members who previously expressed concerns about the Senate’s version of the bill will be under enormous pressure to vote for it without changes. The tax and spending bill is projected to cost more than $3 trillion over the next decade, but it would partially paid for with about $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid. The legislation would enact an unprecedented reduction in the program currently used by more than 70 million low-income Americans, and reverse many of the health coverage gains of the Biden and Obama administrations, when policies were enacted to make it much easier to sign up for health insurance. Almost 12 million lower-income Americans would lose their health insurance by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Republicans hold narrow majorities in the House, and Democrats and health advocacy groups plan to hammer home the unpopular nature of the cuts ahead of the midterm elections. “Elected members of Congress should consider the political lessons of the past. In 2018, more than 20 Republican House members who voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act lost their seats,” the American Nurses Association said in a statement following the bill’s passage in the Senate. “While many factors contributed to those outcomes, the public’s concern over health care access—particularly Medicaid—was a decisive issue in many districts. This is an important reminder that voters care deeply about health care, and they are paying attention.” |
Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. |
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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Mayors sue over Trump administration rules restricting ObamaCare enrollment |
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A coalition of U.S. city mayors is suing the Trump administration over a recently finalized rule that limits enrollment in Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace plans. In June, the Trump administration finalized the “Marketplace Integrity and Affordability” rule, which shortens the open enrollment period for ACA plans to Nov. 1 through Dec. 15. Customers normally have until Jan. 15 to enroll. The rule also increases the maximum … |
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Air pollution may be raising risk of lung cancer in ‘never-smokers’: Study |
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Exposure to air pollution, other contaminants and traditional herbal medicines may be contributing to the development of lung cancer in people who have little or no history of smoking, a new study has found. Contact with these substances can be linked to the same genetic mutations that are associated with smoking and that promote lung cancer development, according to the study, published Wednesday in Nature. “We’re seeing … |
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North Carolina governor urges state delegation to vote against megabill |
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North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) is urging the state’s congressional delegation to vote against the massive Senate-passed domestic policy bill because of the serious consequences it would have for residents. “I urge you to press pause on this bill because of the immediate and long-term threats it poses to the health and well-being of North Carolinians and the economic stability of our state,” Stein wrote in a letter … |
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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GOP chair snaps at Frost: ‘You’ve gone over the cliff’ |
Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) struck a nerve with House Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) on Wednesday while lobbying against the Trump-backed “big, beautiful bill.” “You see, they say they’re pro-life because they want the baby to be born, go to school, and get shot in the school. Die in the schools, die on the streets,” Frost said during his testimony before being interrupted. Foxx abruptly banged the … |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
Texas medical marijuana industry to push for hemp age restrictions and delta-8 ban (Texas Tribune) Iowa’s new behavioral health system is now in effect. Here’s how it works (Iowa Public Radio) NM lawmakers presented with tough choices amid federal cuts to Medicaid, SNAP (Source NM)
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Health news we’ve flagged from other outlets: |
Dr. Oz tries to seal the deal on Trump’s tax cut bill (Stat) Democrats to focus on unpopular GOP cuts in bid to take back the House (Washington Post) ‘MAHA Report’ calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding (KFF Health News)
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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Live updates: House appears stuck as GOP leaders fight for votes on Trump megabill |
The House is in a holding pattern as GOP leaders lean on Republican holdouts to allow President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” to … Read more |
| Trump says Powell should ‘resign immediately’ |
President Trump on Wednesday called for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to resign after the overseer of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac called for Congress … Read more |
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Opinion related to health submitted to The Hill: |
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