‘Fig Leaf’: Democrats Attack the GOP’s Rural Hospital Fund for Reconciliation

“The fact that they’re doing the fund means they are acknowledging that their bill really hurts rural hospitals,” Sen. Tim Kaine told NOTUS.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks at a hearing.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks at a hearing. Mattie Neretin/Sipa USA via AP

As Senate Republicans work out the size of a rural hospital stabilization fund for their reconciliation bill, Democrats are confident that, regardless of the number Republicans come up with, the fund won’t be enough to mitigate the problems caused by the bill’s cuts to Medicaid — and that the entire idea is proof Republicans know their reconciliation bill will harm hospitals.

“The rural hospital fund is a fig leaf that will let them pretend that they can take away hundreds of billions of dollars in health care reimbursements,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren told NOTUS on Wednesday.

She was confident that “one little slush fund” would not be enough to keep every rural hospital open.