WASHINGTON – Senate Republicans passed President Donald Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts bill Tuesday on the narrowest of margins after a turbulent overnight session.
Moments after the vote, Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran released a statement on his vote in support of the Big, Beautiful Bill.
Moran wrote, “The Senate budget reconciliation bill provides certainty for Kansans by preventing a tax hike on middle-class families and small businesses, while also investing in the long-term security of our southern border and bolstering our military’s capabilities at a time when threats from our adversaries are increasing."
“As this legislation was being drafted, I worked to make certain hospitals in Kansas were at the forefront of these discussions. After numerous discussions with Kansas hospital leaders, my colleagues and Administrator Oz, I was able to make changes to the legislation to make certain Kansas hospitals will not face any immediate cuts upon enactment of this legislation."
“These provisions will protect Kansas’ ability to continue pursuing its application for increased Medicaid payments for certain providers. This change ensures that as state directed payments wind down, Kansas providers will be starting at a higher percentage of enhanced payments buying them much-needed time to utilize federal dollars as payments are reduced."
“I also secured a one-year delay in the implementation of reductions to state directed payments to give Kansas providers more time to access these resources. Finally, I pushed for the establishment of a rural provider fund to aid rural hospitals facing significant financial challenges. These changes and investments, along with tax cuts for Kansas families, will bolster our economy and strengthen the safety of our nation.”
Sen. Moran’s priorities:
· Protecting Rural Hospitals – Creates a $50 billion fund to provide emergency assistance for rural hospitals at risk of closure due to significant financial hardships.
· Securing the Border – Provides robust funding to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to enhance the long-term security of our nation’s borders and inhibit the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the U.S.
· Ensuring Safety & Modernization in Air Travel – Provides $12.52 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to modernize and enhance safety of air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure.
· Bolstering U.S. Defense & National Security – Provides $150 billion to the Department of Defense to support the modernization and readiness of our Armed Forces some of which will be spent in Kansas.
· Expanding Access to Capital for Farmers & Rural Communities – Includes Sen. Moran’s legislation, the Access to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act, which gives greater flexibility to more financial institutions to offer affordable lines of credit to rural and agricultural borrowers.
· Supporting Kansas Agriculture – Modernizes Farm Bill provisions that are years overdue by updating agricultural reference prices, makes much-needed updates to disaster programs, bolsters crop insurance and provides more resources for animal health programs. Also, provides permanent relief from the Death Tax to allow Kansas farmers to pass their family farms on to the next generation of producers.
· Reducing the Tax Burden for Working Americans – Lowers taxes for American families, workers and small businesses.