LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – With President Trump’s sweeping federal budget proposal heading back to the U.S. House of Representatives, Michigan Democrats are warning the legislation could deal a serious blow to rural health care across the state.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act narrowly passed the U.S. Senate on Tuesday in a 50-50 vote, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tie-breaker. While Republicans hailed the bill for its increased border funding and spending cuts, critics say it would slash Medicaid and food assistance programs that serve low-income and rural residents.
Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, said the bill could devastate communities in regions like the Upper Peninsula, where access to health care is already limited.
“We just lost Planned Parenthood operating in the U.P.,” Hertel said. “People are already driving long distances to get basic care. This bill would make it worse.”
According to Hertel, 39% of children in Michigan rely on Medicaid, and many rural residents face seasonal employment that makes public health insurance their only option. He warned that removing Medicaid coverage could lead to hospital closures across northern Michigan.
“Even if you have private insurance, if your rural hospital goes under, it does not matter, right?” Hertel said.”Having a card doesn’t help you if you can’t actually find someone to take that card and provide care.”
The bill also includes cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other safety-net services. Hertel said those rollbacks threaten recent progress in expanding access to school meals and reducing childhood poverty in Michigan.
“We’ve come a long way in this state in terms of access to health care and nutrition,” Hertel said. “I don’t want to see that rolled back—especially not to give tax cuts to the richest people in the country.”
The chamber is preparing for a final vote on the Senate version of the bill as early as Wednesday. President Trump has called for the legislation to reach his desk by the Fourth of July.
Hertel urged Michigan residents to contact their members of Congress and advocate against the proposal.
“If they’re willing to put billionaires in front of your healthcare, your kids’ healthcare, your neighbors’ healthcare.” Hertel said.”If they’re willing to put billionaires in front of keeping rural hospitals open, then we have to vote them out of Congress.”
