Senate Passes Controversial Bill Impacting Rural Hospitals, Medicaid

The Senate narrowly passed President Donald Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' a tax breaks and spending cuts package, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. While the bill extends tax relief for families and small businesses and includes a $50 billion fund to support rural hospitals, it faces opposition due to significant cuts to Medicaid, which critics warn could threaten health care access for low-income families and rural providers. Senator Susan Collins, along with Senators Thom Tillis and Rand Paul, voted against the bill citing concerns about Medicaid reductions and insufficient rural hospital funding, despite supporting tax relief. Illinois Democrats Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Tammy Duckworth also opposed the bill, highlighting the detrimental impact on health care coverage for millions of Americans. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska supported the bill but expressed hopes that the House would reject it or send it back for further work, emphasizing that the bill is imperfect and that her vote was a strategic choice to keep it alive. The bill now moves to the House, where its future remains uncertain amid divided opinions within and across parties.