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Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) pushed back on concerns voiced by fellow Republican Sen. Thom Tillis over how President Donald Trump's megabill will impact hospitals and rural communities in Tillis' North Carolina.
Tillis on Saturday announced he would vote against the GOP bill because it would 'result in tens of billions of dollars in lost funding for North Carolina, including our hospitals and rural communities.'
But during an appearance on 'Fox News Sunday,' Banks said Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Trump heard the concerns and made changes in the bill to win over Tillis and other senators with similar concerns.
'Leader Thune and President Trump have added a fund specifically geared towards keeping those hospitals going and making up for the losses that might be incurred,' Banks said, referring to a $15 billion stabilization fund for rural hospitals impacted by the spending bill.
'Remember: The Medicaid reforms in this bill are about work requirements and taking illegals off Medicaid,' Banks added. 'That is what is in the bill and what the clerk's reading on the floor right now. That is the truth.'
Trump's sweeping spending bill has drawn backlash from Democrats and Republicans alike for language regarding Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office projected that by 2034, some 16 million individuals may be uninsured in part because of the bill.
More than a dozen House Republicans have privately indicated they won't vote for the Senate text unless Medicaid language moves much closer to the House version, POLITICO learned Saturday.
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