STAT+: Hospitals could be Congress’ next target as GOP looks to extend Trump’s tax cuts
Republicans are looking for ways to pay for the cost of extending the tax cuts, estimated at $4 trillion over a decade.
Republicans are considering a litany of budget-cutting policies that would hurt the health care sector, and particularly hospitals, as they look for ways to pay for an extension of President Trump’s tax cuts.
House Republicans plan to use a special budget process to renew tax cuts for individuals, enact immigration measures, and boost military spending. The process, called budget reconciliation, avoids the risk of filibuster, allowing Republicans to enact their priorities without support from any Democrats.
Those policies are expensive. The tax cuts alone are estimated to cost the government about $4 trillion over a decade, according to the Treasury Department and the Congressional Budget Office. Republicans would like to pay for a large chunk of that cost, though there is disagreement between moderates and conservatives over how much to offset.
