On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed a bill into law that included the largest cut to Medicaid in history. The legislation, H.R. 1, threatens the health coverage of over 15 million people in the U.S. In the crosshairs of those cuts are rural hospitals, which is why Republicans included a multi-billion dollar “fund” to assist with a major budgetary shortfall for most facilities when Medicaid payments stop.

Since President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law on March 23, 2010, Republicans on the federal level have fought to dismantle the law in the courts and legislatively. In Virginia, Medicaid expansion was passed, with a few Republicans voting in favor, in 2018 and went into effect in January 2019.

On July 10, 2025, U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, Senator Ghazala Hashmi, Victor McKenzie, Executive Director of SAARA of Virginia and Dr. Larry Clark spoke out at a press conference on the impact of President Trump’s budget decisions on rural hospitals. The presser was hosted by Katie Baker, the Virginia State Director for Protect Our Care and co-sponsored by SEIU Virginia State Council. This podcast will feature Rep. McClellan, Senator Hashmi, Dr. Clark and McKenzie.

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