Latest news with #healthcareCuts
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
OOF: Awkward New Supercut Shows GOP Lawmakers Trashing The Trump Bill They Voted For
It's not just Democrats who are up in arms over President Donald Trump's 'big beautiful bill,' which passed the House on Thursday and is set to be signed on Friday. Many Republicans oppose it, too. At least they did at first, publicly trashing it for adding trillions to the national debt without significant spending cuts. The opposition caused the bill to stall in the House on Wednesday, but most of the holdouts caved, and nearly every Republican who criticized the bill voted for it anyway. A new MSNBC supercut video has the receipts: MSNBC put together a supercut of Republicans trashing on Trump's big bill before they voted for it — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 3, 2025 The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill will add approximately $3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. The CBO also said the bill's cuts to Medicaid could leave up to 12 million people without access to health care. In the Senate, Republicans Susan Collins (Maine), Rand Paul (Ky.), and Thom Tillis (N.C.) broke ranks and voted against the bill. In the House, Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) were the only Republicans to vote against it.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
OOF: Awkward New Supercut Shows GOP Lawmakers Trashing The Trump Bill They Voted For
It's not just Democrats who are up in arms over President Donald Trump's 'big beautiful bill,' which passed the House on Thursday and is set to be signed on Friday. Many Republicans oppose it, too. At least they did at first, publicly trashing it for adding trillions to the national debt without significant spending cuts. The opposition caused the bill to stall in the House on Wednesday, but most of the holdouts caved, and nearly every Republican who criticized the bill voted for it anyway. A new MSNBC supercut video has the receipts: MSNBC put together a supercut of Republicans trashing on Trump's big bill before they voted for it — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 3, 2025 The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill will add approximately $3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. The CBO also said the bill's cuts to Medicaid could leave up to 12 million people without access to health care. In the Senate, Republicans Susan Collins (Maine), Rand Paul (Ky.), and Thom Tillis (N.C.) broke ranks and voted against the bill. In the House, Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) were the only Republicans to vote against it.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New Jersey's Phil Murphy takes heat from all sides in final budget as governor
TRENTON, New Jersey — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday night signed his final budget — and faced rare and biting criticisms from within his own administration and longtime allies. Two members of his own Cabinet called parts of the $58.8 billion spending plan a 'terrible idea' and 'a great disappointment.' And over the course of Monday, unions Murphy counted among his strongest supporters came out to attack the governor — showing how vulnerable the term-limited Democrat is to criticism as he heads toward lame-duck status. "He remains a Wall Street banker at heart and has put the interests of the insurance companies and CEO's above the interests of everyday working people,' Steve Tully, executive director of AFSCME New Jersey Council 63 union, said in a statement related to a disagreement in cuts to health care spending for state workers. 'While Governor Murphy heads to his villa in Italy this summer, tens of thousands of workers will be worrying how they are going to be able to afford the astronomical health care increases that are coming.' Murphy and the state's top legislative Democrats were eager to point out the spending plan includes a full $7.2 billion payment into the state's notoriously underfunded pension fund for public workers, $12 billion in record funding for public schools and a continuation of popular property tax relief programs. And the state surplus stands at $6.7 billion — magnitudes larger than the $409 million surplus Murphy got when he came into office. 'This budget exemplifies our dedication to fiscal responsibility, affordability, and opportunity for all New Jerseyans,' Murphy said in a statement. 'Over nearly eight years in office, we have maintained a steadfast commitment to building a stronger and fairer New Jersey and righting our fiscal ship. I'm proud that this budget caps off an eight-year journey to turn our state around and delivers greater economic security and opportunity to every family.' The final spending plan had similar broad strokes to what Murphy proposed in February, with $727 million added in recent days by Democratic lawmakers. It also has a $1.5 billion structural deficit, meaning it spends more than it collects in revenue. Last-minute additions made public late Friday drew the ire of a top Democratic lawmaker, two members of Murphy's Cabinet and a group of public-sector unions and environmental groups that have traditionally been allied with Murphy and Democrats. Ironically, Murphy also faced criticism from a Senate Republican for not doing enough to prepare the state for Medicaid cuts likely to be imposed by fellow Republicans in Washington. Sen. Declan O'Scanlon, the Monmouth County Republican who serves as his party's chief budget officer, proposed an amendment on the Senate floor Monday to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in 'pork' spending and set it aside in part to deal with federal cuts Democrats have been warning about but this budget deal does not prepare New Jersey for. The proposal was rejected by legislative Democrats. It's the criticism from within the Democratic governor's own house and his longtime allies that is most striking and a sign of Murphy's limited time left in Trenton. The biggest internal criticism came from Attorney General Matt Platkin, a longtime Murphy ally, who called out plans to give hospitals money he helped win in opioid litigation. 'Last night, I learned — to my great disappointment — that the budget the Legislature is considering would deplete our hard-won opioid settlement dollars by sending $45 million to hospital systems for uses that have not been identified,' Platkin said in a statement Monday morning. 'My office fought for years against companies who profited off the deaths and addiction of thousands upon thousands of New Jerseyans.' On Sunday, acting Comptroller Kevin Walsh called out another part of the budget deal that allows state money to go to low-rated nursing homes. 'This budget provision is a terrible idea,' Walsh said in a statement. 'It is a giveaway to the nursing home industry and will worsen care in nursing homes.' The Legislature's top lawmaker was quick to push back against the critiques from cabinet officials. 'When did they run for office? Did they run for office?' Senate President Nick Scutari — who played a key role in budget negotiations — said. 'Because I didn't see that. I think that one of them is the chief law enforcement officer, and the other one is kind of more of an auditor, so I don't think that's within their purview to do.' The nursing home industry — and Murphy — were under considerable scrutiny during the Covid-19 pandemic for poor care in nursing homes and the state's handling of Covid-19 patients. The nursing home industry in particular has been the subject of continued scrutiny in the state and nationwide. It's unusual for one much less two Cabinet members to speak out. Platkin and Walsh, though both nominated by the governor, have offices with independence from the governor. Platkin's criticism was aimed at plans to send $45 million to Hackensack Meridian Health, RWJ Barnabas, Cooper University Health Care and Atlantic Health. The budget language says it must be in line with the opioid settlement requirements. Platkin said the budget deal 'ignores' recommendations released by the state's Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund Advisory Council, which was created to advise how to spend the settlement funds. He also explicitly called on the Legislature and Murphy to 'reject' the proposal. The state is set to receive over $1 billion through 2038 stemming from several settlements related to the opioid crisis, with state leaders adamant that the funds be used to treat opioid addiction and not plug budget holes like the infamous tobacco settlements from decades ago. Senate Budget and Appropriations Chair Paul Sarlo said the funds would help hospitals provide harm reduction services for opioid treatment and suggested that it would help with possible federal Medicaid cuts. 'These hospitals — they're gonna be on the front line of these Medicaid cuts,' Sarlo told reporters. But it wasn't just administration officials that were displeased with the newest changes. Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Chair Joe Vitale said that sending opioid settlement funds to four hospital systems was 'an awful addition to the budget' that he would seek to prevent in following years. He similarly criticized the changes for nursing homes. 'It undermines the ability to make nursing homes safer in a manner that's cooperative,' said Vitale, who went on to vote for the budget. 'This is an attack on public safety. And I'll do everything I can to undo it.' The state's long-term care ombudsperson — who was nominated by Murphy — said the budget deal on nursing homes was a 'complete giveaway to the nursing home industry.' 'The rich get richer and the poor get nothing,' the ombudsperson, Laurie Facciarossa Brewer, said in a statement over the weekend. 'At this point, the Legislature is throwing money at nursing home owners and stripping away the state's own ability to ensure better quality.' The spending plan comes amid the governor's race to succeed Murphy and as all seats in the state Assembly are up for election this fall. Legislative Democrats will be eager to highlight continuation of funding for popular property tax relief programs — like the ANCHOR program, which provides rebates of $1,500 to homeowners and $450 for qualifying renters, with another $250 for seniors. The budget also included $280 million for Stay NJ, the program that will cut property taxes in half for seniors making up to $500,000, and the Senior Freeze program, which also provides direct property tax relief for seniors. But the budget is not without its potential political risks. Another last-minute addition — one of several options proposed by Murphy and agreed upon by Assembly Democrats — requires the state government workers' health program to find $100 million in savings through a committee that has labor and management representatives. The government covers most of the health care costs for employees on the state-run public worker health insurance program, which has seen rising expenses. The program — especially for local governments — is teetering on the brink of insolvency. The $100 million cut has ruptured Murphy's longtime relationship with public-sector unions. After the budget was passed, a group of unions representing state workers — including the CWA, Rutgers AAUP-AFT, AFSCME New Jersey Health Professionals & Allied Employees and Policemen's Benevolent Association — blasted the measure. Tully, the AFSCME director, said Murphy is 'out of touch' and Democratic Assemblymember Wayne DeAngelo, who is closely aligned with labor interests, abstained on the budget over the proposal. In a statement, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin said he would hold hearings in July to discuss government worker health insurance and suggested that unanticipated revenues could subsidize increased costs. The budget also redirects $190 million from the Board of Public Utilities' clean energy fund to prop up NJ Transit and pad the budget surplus. Groups like Environment New Jersey and the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters criticized the decision as a gimmick and accused Democrats who are usually their allies of treating the ratepayer dollars the BPU collects like a slush fund. The budget includes modified versions of tax increases sought by Murphy. The two major tax increases raised the tax rate for online sports and online gambling as well as the sale of real estate valued over $2 million. The state budget could soon be upended, with state lawmakers keeping a close eye to the Congressional Republicans' bill that could upend Medicaid or federal funding cuts from the Trump administration. 'I think what concerns people is what's going to come out of the federal government,' Scutari said. 'Far as I can tell, that surplus can't make up for humongous federal budgetary cuts.' The budget passed 26-13 in the Senate and 52-27-1 in the Assembly on Monday. Two GOP lawmakers, Assemblymember Sean Kean and Sen. Bob Singer, crossed party lines to support it.
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Sen. Mark Warner: Tax Bill Has a Heap of Problems
Senator Mark Warner (D) Virginia discusses the Tax Bill and whether or not he expects a floor vote some time soon. Senator Warner talks about the various issues he has with the legislation, including healthcare cuts, and what he expects to see during the Midterm elections next year. Senator Mark Warner speaks with Joe Mathieu on the late edition of Bloomberg's "Balance of Power." (Source: Bloomberg)
CNA
5 days ago
- Business
- CNA
US Senate opens debate on Trump's controversial spending Bill
WASHINGTON: US senators on Saturday (Jun 28) began debating Donald Trump's " big beautiful" spending Bill, a hugely divisive proposal that would deliver key parts of the US president's domestic agenda while making massive cuts to social welfare programmes. Trump is hoping to seal his legacy with the "One Big Beautiful Bill," which would extend his expiring first-term tax cuts at a cost of US$4.5 trillion and beef up border security. But Republicans eyeing 2026 midterm congressional elections are divided over the package, which would strip health care from millions of the poorest Americans and add more than US$3 trillion to the country's debt. The Senate formally opened debate on the Bill late Saturday, after Republican holdouts delayed what should have been a procedural vote - drawing Trump's ire on social media. Senators narrowly passed the motion to begin debate, 51-49, hours after the vote was first called, with Vice President JD Vance joining negotiations with holdouts from his own party. Ultimately, two Republican senators joined 47 Democrats in voting "nay" on opening debate. Trump has pushed his party to get the Bill passed and on his desk for him to sign into law by Jul 4, the United States' independence day. Democrats are bitterly opposed to the legislation and Trump's agenda, and have vowed to hold up the debate. They began by insisting that the entirety of the Bill be read aloud to the chamber before the debate commences. The Bill is roughly 1,000 pages long and will take an estimated 15 hours to read. "Republicans won't tell America what's in the Bill," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. "So Democrats are forcing it to be read start to finish on the floor. We will be here all night if that's what it takes to read it." If passed in the Senate, the Bill would go back to the House for approval, where Republicans can only afford to lose a handful of votes - and are facing stiff opposition from within their own ranks. DIVISIVE CUTS Republicans are scrambling to offset the US$4.5 trillion cost of Trump's tax relief, with many of the proposed cuts to come from decimating funding for Medicaid, the health insurance programme for low-income Americans. Republicans are split on the Medicaid cuts, which will threaten scores of rural hospitals and lead to an estimated 8.6 million Americans being deprived of health care. The spending plan would also roll back many of the tax incentives for renewable energy that were put in place under Trump's predecessor Joe Biden. On Saturday, key Trump ally Elon Musk - with whom the president had a public falling out this month over his criticism of the Bill - called the current proposal "utterly insane and destructive". "It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future," said Musk, who is the world's richest person, and owns electric vehicle company Tesla and space flight firm SpaceX, among others. Independent analysis also shows that the Bill would pave the way for a historic redistribution of wealth from the poorest 10 per cent of Americans to the richest. The Bill is unpopular across multiple demographic, age and income groups, according to extensive recent polling. Although the House has already passed its own version, both chambers have to agree on the same text before it can be signed into law.
