Collins amendment on rural hospital funding fails
Many Democratic senators voted with the majority of their Republican colleagues to block an amendment by Sen. Susan Collins that aimed to increase the amount of money in the rural hospital relief fund.
Republicans created the fund to address concerns from moderates that the cuts to Medicaid in President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" would negatively impact rural hospitals in some states.

Collins' amendment would have increased the tax rate on individuals earning over $25 million and couples earning over $50 million in order to pay for a $25 billion bump to the rural hospital fund. It failed by a vote of 22-78.
"When these facilities close their doors the people they serve are often left behind without access to health care," Collins said. "This amendment would help keep them open and caring for those who live in these rural communities. The additional funding is fully offset through a modest increase in the top marginal tax rate."
Democrats voted against the bill arguing that it is a "Band-Aid on an amputation."
"It provides just a tiny fraction of the nearly $1 trillion in cuts the bill makes to Medicaid," said Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee.
"It would be much more logical to simply not cut $1 trillion from Medicaid in the first place," Wyden said. "This amendment doubles down on that flawed plan that's going to set rural hospitals adrift."
The rejection of the amendment puts Collins' already tenuous vote on final passage in further danger. She signaled over the weekend she may not support the bill if her concerns about rural hospitals weren't addressed during the amendment process.
If Collins casts a vote against the package, it could spell problems for the GOP leadership which can only afford to lose three Republicans when the goes to a final vote.
Sens. Thom Tillis and Rand Paul are already expected to vote against the bill. Collins is part of a group of several Republican senators whose support is still uncertain as of the early hours of Tuesday morning.
-ABC News Allison Pecorin and Isabella Murray








