Senator Marshall: Democrats Don’t Understand Rural Healthcare
Senator Marshall Joins CNN to Discuss the Ongoing Budget Fight with Senate Democrats and Improving Rural Healthcare
Washington – On Monday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins to discuss the ongoing budget battle with Senate Democrats, President Trump’s view of the Democrats’ requests, and how to improve rural healthcare in America.
Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
On the odds that the government is going to shut down:
“Well, Vegas is now saying 70 to 30 odds. I’m eternally hopeful. I think I would bet against it. I’m going to bet that will probably shut down, but I’m going to hopefully work if there’s an opportunity. Look, the Republicans want to keep the government open, but they also want to work towards a responsible budget.
“We think it doesn’t make any sense to us when we’re… asking Democrats to extend the budget they all voted for just last December. But instead, they want an additional $1.5 trillion, and that doesn’t seem fair. It doesn’t seem like the right thing to do.”
On the cuts to the rescissions package and why Democrats are making their demands:
“Well, I think that we should negotiate this thing out. And I think if the issue is like they’re saying, it’s the advanced extra subsidies from the Covid era that they’re worried about, we should talk about this. This isn’t all the subsidies. This is just a small fraction of them that came about in 2021. Look, this is meant to be for people with less than 400% poverty level. And instead, most of those extended subsidies are for people making over 400% poverty level.”
On whether or not to end the healthcare subsidies that the Democrats want:
“Look, I’m going to negotiate about it. I would prefer to end them as they are. But certainly, if we’re going to continue, let’s go back to the way the AC was written, which was for people that were making less than 400% of the poverty level. I think that we need to make sure that we prioritize the help for the people who need it the most. Republicans want to help everybody. We want to make sure everybody has healthcare. Let’s make sure the ones that need it the most get the help.”
“97% of rural counties voted for President Trump. Every time I see him, he asks me, how is rural America doing? So he knows full well what’s going on there. I think what’s ironic is, why do Democrats want to take away the $50 billion rural transformation fund if they want to help rural hospitals? Why do they want to take that away at this late hour?
“And if rural hospitals are having any problems now or next year, that’s on the back of Democrat ACA policy. The ACA has been the law now for 15 years. All these things that we did in the One Big, Beautiful Bill won’t take effect for a year or two down the line. So it just seems very disingenuous for the Democrats to be blaming President Trump for these rural hospital struggles. The reason rural hospitals are struggling is because of the bad economy, because they’ve lost 30 or 50% of their population.”
On whether the Medicaid cuts will affect rural hospitals:
“I think it’s because they don’t understand rural hospitals. Only 5% of Medicaid funding go to rural hospitals. We lose money on every Medicaid patient. So why would you want more of them? Instead, the goal would be to get people off Medicaid. Let’s help them find a job where they get insurance that helps contribute to the bottom line. But Medicaid is a loser for every hospital, and again, such a small amount of it goes to rural hospitals, and that’s why we’re working so hard to make sure this transformation Fund helps us get to that next level…”
“…with all due respect, this is a very small amount of funding. Only 5% of Medicaid funding goes to rural hospitals. The problem with rural hospitals is the local economy. If agriculture is struggling, rural America is going to struggle. Medicaid is such a small amount it’s not helping. And again, you lose money on every Medicaid patient. You want to convert people from Medicaid to jobs with health insurance that helps cover the real bills.”
Senator Marshall: “Look, I think sometimes the President plays with the press like a little boy and a flashlight and a dog. He’s shining the flashlight here, and he’s shining it there. What he’s saying is this offer from the Democrats is ridiculous. $1.5 trillion dollars on top of the funding that they already agreed to. What they’re asking for is completely ridiculous. It’s disingenuous. And then for the Democrats to sit there and blame Republicans for the plight of rural hospitals is just so wrong. The problems with rural hospitals would be their policy, not ours.”
Collins: “But couldn’t the President just say these demands are ridiculous and not post a video with Hakeem Jeffries wearing a sombrero and, you know, putting that voice over Senator Schumer talking about people of color and immigrants.”
Senator Marshall: “I think he said that several times already, and then for them to come and not to make any really serious offer… why didn’t they just say, look, let’s just talk about these extra Covid era subsidies? These extra subsidies that are costing some $35 billion a year? Let’s make those just for the people who really need them. Let’s go back to the original ACA and make this for people under 400%. And they didn’t bring us a serious offer there. Look, in my estimation, Chuck Schumer wants the government to shut down to settle a political score.”
Collins: “Well, Vice President Vance sounded open to the subsidies. But just to be clear, you don’t have any objections to that video the President posted.”
Senator Marshall: “I think it’s said in jest. I think it’s the President making fun of a couple of people that didn’t bring a serious request to the White House.”
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Contact: Payton Fuller
