119th U.S. Congress: Good LORD what is Happening in There?

[Meresgi]

Our hospital group put out a statement on the very front page of our internal intranet blasting the bill and discussing the concerns of closure of 2 of our critical rural hospitals.

It's gonna get bad for rural America.

But I heard they're offering a paltry amount of $$ to help out rural hospitals that won't do shit at all!

[Tyche]

The bill is historically unpopular. If Mike Johnson gets the Senate version passed before Friday, it'll be one of the more impressive feats by a GOP Speaker I can recall. He's done more with smaller margins than most of his predecessors.

Fucking imagine if Democrats didn't reelect 3 dead reps over the age of 70. Not sure it'd pass.

[Tyche]

But I heard they're offering a paltry amount of $$ to help out rural hospitals that won't do shit at all!

https://www.lpm.org/news/2025-07-01/...h-care-economy

According to Musser, such cuts would undermine the Kentucky Hospital Rate Improvement Program, in which provider taxes partially fund directed payments to hospitals, which allow increased Medicaid reimbursements that are closer to the average commercial rate. The increased rates are value-based, dependent on hospitals meeting certain quality metrics in order to be eligible.

Kentucky hospitals on average have a 2% operating margin, but without these state-directed payments, they would operate in a negative 7% hole.

“If cancer treatment goes away in your local hospital because the Medicaid dollars are gone, that affects everybody, not just Medicaid patients,” Musser said. “I don't think they've quite thought about the economic impact.”

There are also the larger economic impacts of hospitals, which are often one of the largest employers in a community. Musser noted that hospitals have in large part replaced the declining coal mining industry in much of eastern Kentucky, but also said the cuts could affect urban hospitals.

Coal mines closing. Among highest opioid addiction rates in the nation. The poorest counties in the nation. Eastern Kentucky just can't catch a break.

[Karbuncle]

The bill is historically unpopular. If Mike Johnson gets the Senate version passed before Friday, it'll be one of the more impressive feats by a GOP Speaker I can recall. He's done more with smaller margins than most of his predecessors.

Fucking imagine if Democrats didn't reelect 3 dead reps over the age of 70. Not sure it'd pass.

Its a shame logic doesnt really matter anymore. The Republicans will fall in line, because nobody was punished last time Trump fucked everything up so they're emboldened, regardless of it being a historically unpopular bill or not. I just have no faith these people won't just fall in line and vote yes.

Like I'm seriously drifting to the point where I think the only consequences these people will ever fear is a Nintendo character.

[6souls]

Murkowski voted yes for getting a tax break added for fisheries and whalers

[Karbuncle]

Murkowski voted yes for getting a tax break added for fisheries and whalers

"thats all it took to buy her? Cheap date". I'm paraphrasing the bomb dropped on her.

[Meresgi]

Can we please bring back duels in congress

[Tyche]

Absolutely incredible exchange. Sen. Rand Paul called out Murkowski, saying Alaska got a bailout at the expense of the rest of the country. Murkowski, 100% knowing it's true, just blanks and stares down the reporter when asked to comment on Paul's remarks.

https://x.com/Revkin/status/1940134286402670695

[kuronosan]

You guys assume any of these people give a shit.

[Byrthnoth]

She probably was so pissed she couldn't respond because Paul was such a bitch/snake.

Paul was making space for himself to vote yes last week. She's the one who ends up caving instead (probably after a negotiation with him and leadership) and he knifes her for it?

Happy pride!

[Meresgi]

Love how much $$ this gives to ICE too to fund the new SS, so we can call into question the "citizenship" of everyone and herd them into concentration camps because history is cyclical. Guessing we have a year before we have our own Night of Long Knives, but it has a stupid name given to it by the GoP as they execute Dems

[Tyche]

House mightily struggles to pass their own bill, which is objectively less bad than the Senate bill. Somehow, it's going to clear with, likely, more support.

Trump apparently offered holdouts EOs to benefit their districts. I think the far more likely scenario is he promised the budget hawks EOs to save money and promised the moderates a job after they're ousted next year.

[Xno Kappa]

Glad to at least see the media vigorously covering the Diddy trial and not 12+ million Americans about to lose their health insurance.

[Lucavi]

Bread and circus, my friend!

Diddy is a spectacle! The people want to be entertained, not compensated for their efforts!

[6souls]

The exemption for on tips expires in 2028 and gig workers/contractors are not included.

[Emphasis]

The deviousness of this bill is just as bad as how faulty it is. In the 2028 elections they're counting on campaigning for "extending" temporary measures like exemptions and funding to stave off hospital closures.

If a Democrat gets elected, they'll just say the prolonged fallout of this bill is to be blamed on them.

[Tymon]

They don't need to get elected. They can blame anything bad that happens on Democrats at any given time, to enormous success.

[Tyrath]

So House passed the bill.

ICE now has a budget larger than most of the world's military on top of everything else horrible in this bill.

Everything is fucked.

[Cail]

They don't need to get elected. They can blame anything bad that happens on Democrats at any given time, to enormous success.

i read that medicaid/care cuts dont happen til after the 2026 elections

[Tyrath]

1. They lose the midterms and blame it on the democrats

2. They manage to keep the chambers because the effects haven't happened yet