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The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
GOP senator calls for Senate parliamentarian to be fired after ruling against Medicaid cuts
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) on Thursday called for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to fire Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough 'ASAP,' hours after she delivered a major ruling against a Republican proposal to slash hundreds of billions of dollars in federal Medicaid spending to help pay for President Trump's tax agenda. The parliamentarian also ruled against provisions to prohibit federal funding of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for adults or kids whose immigration status cannot be immediately verified and to lower federal Medicaid funding for states that provide Medicaid coverage to immigrants in the country illegally. 'The WOKE Senate Parliamentarian, who was appointed by Harry Reid and advised Al Gore, just STRUCK DOWN a provision BANNING illegals from stealing Medicaid from American citizens. This is a perfect example of why Americans hate THE SWAMP,' Tuberville posted on X, the social media site. 'Unelected bureaucrats think they know better than U.S. Congressmen who are elected BY THE PEOPLE. Her job is not to push a woke agenda. THE SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN SHOULD BE FIRED ASAP,' he said. Tuberville posted his comments publicly around the same time that Thune told reporters that he would not attempt to overrule the parliamentarian with a simple-majority vote on the floor. A Senate GOP source familiar with the parliamentarian's ruling on Medicaid eligibility and health care provider taxes said that Republicans will try to rework the provisions to keep them in the massive bill. 'We'll continue our work and find a solution to achieve the desired results. Also, this is not as fatal as Dems are portraying it to be,' the source said. Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) appointed MacDonough in January of 2012 to serve as parliamentarian. She is the first woman to serve in the role. She is the sixth Senate parliamentarian, and worked in the parliamentarian's office for nearly a decade before she was tapped to replace Alan Frumin.
Axios
3 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Senate parliamentarian blocks Medicaid changes in "big, beautiful bill"
The Senate parliamentarian ruled out the Medicaid provider tax provision in the "one big, beautiful bill," according to Senate Democrats. Why it matters: This complicates the GOP's math on the spending cuts it needs to pass the package, as well as threatening the careful negotiations between the party's factions on reaching a final deal. For Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), it removes a thorny political problem for Republicans, with a handful of GOP members deeply opposed to the provisions. But it will also force the Senate to find additional spending cuts to pay for the tax cuts that are the centerpiece of Trump's one "big, beautiful bill." Zoom in: The parliamentarian also struck down provisions meant to block the use of Medicaid funds for gender-affirming care and to prevent unauthorized immigrants from receiving Medicaid or CHIP coverages. Driving the news: Democrats seized on the ruling as evidence that their fight against Trump's agenda was having some success. "Democrats are continuing to make the case against every provision in this Big, Beautiful Betrayal of a bill that violates Senate rules and hurts families and workers," said Sen Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) the ranking Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee. "Democrats are fighting back against Republicans' plans to gut Medicaid, dismantle the Affordable Care Act, and kick kids, veterans, seniors, and folks with disabilities off of their health insurance. What to watch: Republicans are working to adjust the language on provider taxes to meet the parliamentarian's standards.
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First Post
17-06-2025
- Business
- First Post
Capitol Hill civil war: US Senate, House on collision course over Trump's ‘One Big Beautiful Bill'
Though most Senate Republicans exited a closed-door briefing without publicly opposing the measure, several are raising serious concerns, casting doubt on whether the bill has enough support to pass read more Senate Republicans are grappling with growing internal divisions over a revised version of former President Donald Trump's sweeping second-term legislative agenda, informally dubbed the 'One Big Beautiful Bill.' The latest proposal, unveiled by the Senate Finance Committee, outlines a $5 trillion increase to the nation's borrowing authority, $1 trillion more than the House version, setting the stage for a potential standoff between the two chambers of Congress. Though most Senate Republicans exited a closed-door briefing without publicly opposing the measure, several are raising serious concerns, casting doubt on whether the bill has enough support to pass. Senate Majority Leader John Thune can afford to lose only three Republican votes on the Senate floor, and while no senators have explicitly pledged to vote against it, the vocal unease suggests a rocky path forward. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD House, Senate diverge on key provisions A major source of contention lies in the bill's fiscal and healthcare measures. The Senate version includes stricter Medicaid changes than the House's, in addition to preserving the $10,000 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions, a sticking point for moderate House Republicans from high-tax states who had secured a deal to raise the cap to $40,000 in their chamber's version. The Senate bill also proposes phasing out green energy tax credits and making permanent the corporate tax cuts enacted in 2017 during Trump's first term. It includes a campaign pledge to shield tipped workers' income from federal taxation. Medicaid cuts prompt GOP pushback One of the most contentious provisions is the reduction of healthcare provider taxes in Medicaid expansion states from 6% to 3.5% by 2031. Critics say the current tax model allows states to artificially increase their federal reimbursements, an approach some Republicans label 'money laundering.' However, slashing provider taxes could punch holes in state Medicaid budgets and impact hospital funding, especially in red states. Additionally, the Senate proposal would block non-expansion states from raising provider tax rates to draw more federal dollars. Two GOP aides noted the draft legislation goes further than the House version in tightening Medicaid eligibility requirements, a move the White House has cautiously supported to reduce potential program abuse, while still upholding Trump's pledge to protect federal health benefits. CBO flags $863b in Medicaid, CHIP cuts The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the House version of the bill would cut $863 billion from Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) over the next decade. The figure is likely to intensify scrutiny from within the Republican Party and draw significant public attention, especially from healthcare advocates and state officials. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Security concerns rise amid legislative tensions Amid the policy debates, lawmakers are also confronting rising safety concerns. In the wake of recent shootings involving two Minnesota state legislators and their spouses, incidents that left two people dead, members from both parties are calling for improved security measures for Congress and their families. Discussions involving House and Senate leadership, the U.S. Capitol Police, and other officials are underway as tensions on Capitol Hill continue to rise.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vermont passes bill for towns to fund new construction, enacts other reforms
MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – A long-awaited compromise on housing that gives towns more options to fund building projects, a bill addressing the impact of social media on children that will likely face challenges in court, and a reform that will seal many criminal history records were among ten bills Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed into law Thursday. Senate Bill 127, on housing, was perhaps the bill that took the most work by both chambers of the state assembly. The bill establishes the Community Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP), which lets cities and towns fund housing projects by taking out loans to be repaid later, with the increased tax revenue gained from the projects. It was passed by the Vermont Senate this past March, and went through a long process of amendment before final passage May 30. VT Governor calls for action on housing legislation This bill on housing also includes a provision to award up to $20,000 to people helping to build houses in empty lots, and establishes a state program to offer low-interest loans to cities and towns aiming to improve their infrastructure. Scott made a special statement on Senate Bill 69, the Vermont Kids Code, which you can read more about in its own article below. Vermont signs Kids Code into law, faces legal challenges Senate Bill 12 changes the procedures for sealing someone's criminal history after they have completed serving a sentence. Under previous Vermont law, when asking for a crime to be sealed the burden of proof is on the petitioner to show that sealing 'serves the interests of justice', while S. 12 moves this burden over to the state. The governor also signed S. 45, which protects farmers from nuisance lawsuits for activities that comply with generally accepted farming practice, S. 122, which funds several groups that aid small businesses in the state and explores the development of a convention center, and S. 126, which aims to lower health care costs by allowing 'reference-based pricing,' along with four other bills. VT House passes healthcare 'redesign', now goes to Senate The Vermont state legislature is currently scheduled to adjourn for the summer on June 17, The adjournment has already been postponed at least once as the legislature said it needed more time to work out important reforms. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New report: WV education outcomes still nearly last in country, fewer kids attending preschool
Inside a Kanawha County elementary classroom in West Virginia. (Lexi Browning | West Virginia Watch) West Virginia's ranking for child well-being has made slight improvements, but the state is still struggling with students meeting basic academic benchmarks. The new Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation said that in 2024, 75% of West Virginia's fourth graders were not proficient in reading, and 82% of the state's eighth graders were not proficient in math. The annual report assesses childhood well-being in every state. The data showed that, nationally, students are struggling with reading and math since the COVID-19 pandemic's interruptions to learning. Plus, chronic absenteeism has become a major challenge. West Virginia ranks 45th in education, according to the report that was released earlier this week. 'State lawmakers have spent the last few years focusing on really a small sliver of the population by passing policies related to private school and home school,' said Kelly Allen, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, which is West Virginia's member of the Casey Foundation's Kids Count network. 'We're always going to see most of our kids [receive] their education through public schools. So if we really want to boost these outcomes in education, we have to focus our efforts on where kids are, in our public school system,' she continued. Additionally, the number of children attending early childhood education programs worsened. Around 70% of West Virginia children ages three and four are not enrolled in school pre-school or child care, which is the second-worst rate in the country. The state is woefully short in child care programs, which Allen said has played a part in the decline of students attending preschool. 'Whether it's Head Start or pre-K or child care — and those are areas where we have seen backsliding or lack of investment from the state level — and we know early childhood education is so formative for children's future,' she said, adding that the state is spending less on child care than it did before the pandemic. West Virginia moved to 41st in child well-being — up from 44th last year. In 2023, 20% of West Virginia's kids lived in poverty, an improvement over the previous year's rate of 25%. The state is third best in the country for health insurance coverage, and only 3% of kids are uninsured. Many West Virginia children use the state's Medicaid Children's Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, but potential federal cuts and changes to Medicaid could threaten that coverage. 'Children with health insurance are more likely to have a regular source of health care they can access for preventive services, developmental screenings and treatment for physical or mental health needs,' the report said. However, nearly 10% of babies were low birth weight, placing the state at 45th in that category. Low birth weight is a leading cause of infant death in the United States, and these babies have a higher probability of developmental problems and disabilities. The share of U.S. infants with a low birth weight has steadily worsened for more than 30 years, the report said, and the rate remains higher than most other peer nations. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
