Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins voted against an amendment that would have barred illegal immigrants from receiving Medicaid benefits.
Collin’s voted “no” on Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn’s amendment to the “Big, Beautiful Bill” (BBB) on Monday.
The Senate rejected a procedural motion in a 78-22 vote on Collin’s amendment that would have doubled rural hospital funding from $25 billion to $50 billion over five years and expanded eligibility to more health providers, according to a Politico report. (RELATED: ‘Ultimate Betrayal’: White House Issues Stark Warning For GOP Holdouts On Trump Bill)
The proposal also included tax hikes on individuals earning over $25 million and couples earning over $50 million annually, starting next year.
“Rural providers, especially our rural hospitals and nursing homes, are under great financial strain right now, with many having recently closed and others being at risk of closing,” Collins stated prior to the vote.
“This amendment would help keep them open and caring for those who live in rural communities.”
Following the vote, Collins criticized Democrats for opposing her amendment. (RELATED: Schumer Says Democrats Will Read ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Out Loud To Slow Down Passage)
“They’ve complained repeatedly about the distribution in this bill, of Medicaid cuts hurting individuals, rural hospitals, and tax cuts being extended for people who are wealthy, and yet when I tried to fix both those problems, they took a very hypocritical approach.”
She added that she remains undecided on the overall bill and that the rejection would not affect her decision.
The legislation reduces how much states can tax hospitals — a tactic used to draw down additional federal Medicaid funds without spending from state budgets, according to Politico.
Hospitals typically accept these taxes because they receive higher reimbursements in return.
Some conservatives criticize the approach as a “money laundering” tactic, claiming it lets states misuse federal Medicaid funds for unrelated expenses.
In contrast, hospital advocates defend the practice, saying provider taxes are crucial for sustaining rural hospitals that often struggle to stay solvent.
Eighteen Senate Republicans backed a late-night amendment by Collins to let Trump’s 2017 tax cuts expire for individuals earning over $25 million and couples making over $50 million. (RELATED: Here’s What Voters In America’s Heartland Think About Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’)
Collins’ amendment would have raised the top tax rate from 37% to the pre-2017 level of 39.6%, using the revenue to double a rural hospital fund from $25 billion to $50 billion in the GOP’s tax and immigration bill.
