MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, Representative Mike Kelly (PA-16) reintroduced H.R. 3514, the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act along with Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01),and Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06), and John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13) and Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (KS) and Mark Warner (VA).

“With nearly 33 million Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage, modernization of the prior authorization process is long overdue. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, hundreds of health care organizations, and Americans from all corners of the country agree – streamlining this process will allow our Nation’s seniors to receive the care they are entitled to more efficiently. I am proud to reintroduce the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025, which would move the health care sector into the 21st century by giving doctors and Medicare Advantage plans the tools to make health coverage decisions in a timely manner. I thank my House and Senate colleagues for their years of hard work and for joining me on the reintroduction of this critical legislation,” said Representative Mike Kelly (PA-16).

“We’ve made important incremental headway in helping seniors get the medical care they deserve with the administration’s prior authorization regulations. However, we must go further and enshrine these advancements into law. By passing the bipartisan, bicameral Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, we can make it much easier for seniors to receive the care they’re entitled to while also alleviating unnecessary burdens on physicians and hospitals,” said Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01).  

“When decisions on patient care are made by bureaucrats with no experience treating patients, care is often delayed or denied altogether, which results in worse outcomes for patients,” said Rep. John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13). “By streamlining the prior authorization process through the bipartisan Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, we can ensure that American patients receive the care they need without unnecessary barriers.”

“As a doctor, I’ve seen firsthand how the broken prior authorization process delays needed care and frustrates both seniors and their physicians,” said Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06). “The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act cuts through red tape and makes it easier for seniors on Medicare Advantage to access the treatments and services they need, when they need them. This bipartisan legislation is a common-sense fix that puts patients over paperwork, restores trust in the system and helps physicians focus on delivering quality care. I’m proud to reintroduce this bill alongside my colleagues and am grateful for the broad coalition of support behind it.”

BACKGROUND

Prior authorization is a tool used by health plans to reduce unnecessary care by requiring health care providers to get pre-approval for medical services. But it’s not without fault. The current system often results in unconfirmed faxes of a patient’s medical information or phone calls by clinicians which takes precious time away from delivering quality and timely care. Prior authorization continues to be the #1 administrative burden identified by health care providers, and three out of four Medicare Advantage enrollees are subject to unnecessary delays due to prior authorization. In recent years, the Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) raised concerns after an audit revealed that Medicare Advantage plans ultimately approved 75% of requests that were originally denied. More recently, HHS OIG released a report finding that MA plans incorrectly denied beneficiaries’ access to services even though they met Medicare coverage rules.

Health plans, health care providers, and patients agree that the prior authorization process must be improved to better serve patients and reduce unnecessary administrative burdens for clinicians. In fact, leading health care organizations released a consensus statement to address some of the most pressing concerns associated with prior authorization.

Specifically, the bill would:

– Establish an electronic prior authorization process for MA plans including a standardization for transactions and clinical attachments.
– Increase transparency around MA prior authorization requirements and its use.
– Clarify HHS’ authority to establish timeframes for e-prior authorization requests including   expedited determinations, real-time decisions for routinely approved items and services, and other prior authorization requests.
– Expand beneficiary protections to improve enrollee experiences and outcomes.
– Require HHS and other agencies to report to Congress on program integrity efforts and other ways to further improve the e-PA process.
– Previously, Rep. Kelly led similar legislation in the 118th Congress. The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act unanimously passed the House in the 117th Congress and was cosponsored by a majority of members in the Senate and House of Representatives. 

The bill text can be found here and a section-by-section can be found here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

Latta Urges Senate to Vote to Strengthen Medicaid, Prioritize American Energy Dominance, and Reduce Fraud and Abuse in Federal Government

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Paul D. Tonko today issued a statement following the narrow passage of Republicans’ budget, which makes the deepest cuts to healthcare, food assistance, and environmental protections in American history.

Tonko spoke against this budget on the House floor in the early hours of the morning ahead of the House vote. His remarks can be viewed HERE.

“Ripping away healthcare from 13.7 million individuals. Snatching food out of the mouths of children, mothers, and veterans. Opening the door for polluters to pour toxic, cancer-causing chemicals into our air and water. These are what my Republican colleagues voted to pass this morning with their monstrosity of a budget. Even worse, they are making all of these ruthless cuts to essential services for working class Americans and adding trillions in new debt just so they can give more tax handouts to the wealthiest Americans.

“Over the last week, I have spent multiple sleepless nights in committee rooms, on the House floor, and in the halls of Congress condemning in every possible way the horrors of this bill. I was compelled to speak up and speak out about the harms that these cuts would have on my constituents and on Americans across the nation. Despite this effort, and the incredible public outcry from folks demanding Republicans keep their hands off Medicaid, SNAP, and other basic needs programs, My GOP colleagues denied and ignored these pleas to advance a budget they couldn’t even be bothered to negotiate in the light of day.

“This bill now heads to the Senate, where in all likelihood it will be revised and sent back to the House. Make no mistake, I won’t stop using every tool at my disposal to fight against this cruel budget and on behalf of the lives who would be destroyed by its enactment.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

May 21, 2025

Washington, D.C. – Today, environmental champions in the House of Representatives held a press conference at the Capitol blasting House Republicans’ Tax Scam as a massive giveaway to billionaires and mega-polluters, funded entirely by selling out our health, economy, and children’s future. This corrupt Republican scheme is an attack on every American who values reducing costs, clean air and water, public health, and a thriving American economy.

These members included Rep. Jared Huffman, Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee; Rep. Paul Tonko, House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) Co-Chair and Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment; Rep. Doris Matsui, SEEC Co-Chair and Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology; Rep. Don Beyer, SEEC Vice Chair; Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, SEEC Vice Chair; Rep. Sean Casten, SEEC Vice Chair;Rep. Mike Levin, SEEC Vice Chair;  Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, Ranking Member of the House Rules Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process; and Rep. Mike Thompson, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax. 

WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE

“Let’s be clear about what’s happening: the billionaire-backed reconciliation bill is the single most extreme, anti-environment piece of legislation Congress has ever seen,” said Congressman Huffman. “And here’s the kicker: the same Republicans who claim to be fiscally responsible — the same ones who wring their hands about deficits when it’s time to fund food assistance or climate resilience — are about to add $3.8 trillion to the national debt according to CBO to bankroll billionaire tax cuts and fossil fuel handouts. The same folks who say they’re putting the conservative back in conservation are destroying national parks, public lands, and sacred Tribal sites just to please the oil lobby. The hypocrisy is staggering — and the American people see right through it.”

“This bill is a lose-lose. It’s bad for people’s wallets, and it’s bad for building a strong, competitive economy,” said Congressman Tonko. “It sells out current and future generations of Americans to fund tax cuts for billionaires and undermine fossil fuels’ biggest competition— clean energy. Americans will pay more down the road through higher energy bills, dirtier air, worsening climate disasters, and rising health care costs.”

“This bill is not reform. It’s legalized bribery,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “The Republicans are auctioning off our public lands to the highest bidder, prioritizing profit over our environment, and sacrificing the health and future of our communities. You’d think that would be enough, but no. In addition, they have chosen to wreck our economy and end billions of dollars in federal investments that were working to ensure that our infrastructure doesn’t collapse. To this I ask my Republican colleagues: is your endgame really permanent and irreversible damage for the sake of temporary tax cuts for the rich?”

“This bill is going to raise energy costs for every American household,” said Congressman Beyer. “It’s a bad deal for America. It’s a bad deal for our climate. It’s a bad deal for economic growth. It’s a bad deal for our future government. And it’s a bad deal for all those people that voted for Donald Trump.”

“This massive big bad bill, advanced in the dead of night, is a blueprint to bulldoze many of the natural resources Oregonians treasure and rely on for their livelihoods,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “Oregonians know what’s at stake – our coast, forests, and future. We will not back down from the fight for our planet and our people.”

“We had the fastest-growing economy in the world just a couple months ago. We had surges of manufacturing in America. We’ve now got people saying, if I build a factory in America am I going to be able to plug into a grid that’s going to have reliable supply? Can I build resources in America and know that the price of energy is going to come down,” said Congressman Casten. “This is a self-inflicted wound. We’re going to fight with every fiber of our being to make sure that we do the policy right, that we look out for the dignity of this institution the way that Gerry Connolly taught us to.”

“My message to you today is simple: House Republicans want to raise your energy bills, cut jobs, and kill the planet to give bigger tax breaks to polluters and billionaires like Elon Musk. That’s not what House Republicans want you to believe, but it’s the truth,” said Congressman Levin. “Over the past year, Donald Trump and the Republican Party have been talking about how the cost of living is too high. But they’ve been all talk and no action. Instead of working to lower costs and pass policies that uplift Americans, they are pushing one of the most harmful, misguided, and backward bills I’ve ever seen.”

“I’ve been here since one o’clock in the morning because House Republicans wanted to make sure that — in the dark of night — they could push through the rule. But Democrats have shown up and made sure that this bill sees the light of day, so that we can shine a light on what House Republicans are actually doing,” said Congresswoman Leger Fernández. “They are focused on making sure we keep the dirtiest energy dominant. When they say energy dominance, it’s not about energy, which includes the sun, and geothermal, and the wind, and those things that we know can power our homes cheaper, more affordable, while also creating the kinds of jobs communities like mine need and want.”

“It’s important to note that over half of the new clean jobs created by those provisions in the IRA are in red states and Republican districts,” said Congressman Thompson. “So House Republicans’ one big, ugly bill that we’ve been debating nearly around the clock, cuts all the clean energy production. It’ll raise electric costs by about $110 per year per household. And I did the math quickly. People making under $50,000 are going to get about $260 in tax cuts. If you subtract the energy cost increase, that just about cuts their tax cuts in half. So talk about giveth with one hand and taketh with the other.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Takano (D-Calif)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) released the following statement regarding the Republican Budget Bill: 
 
“I strongly oppose the Republican budget bill. This bill would balloon the national debt, slash critical services, and deliver nearly $4.6 trillion in tax breaks that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest Americans. 

“At a time when families are struggling with rising costs, Congress should be strengthening the programs that invest in American communities, not cutting them to pay for permanent tax breaks for billionaires. 

“The legislation proposes deep cuts to essential programs that millions of Americans rely on. It slashes health care access for 13.7 million Americans, including children, seniors, and low-income families. It also cuts food assistance from over 42 million people across the country, including essential school lunch programs for hungry children.

“These devastating cuts are an attempt to partially offset the revenue losses from massive tax breaks for corporations and ultra-high earners. Under this plan, the top 0.1% of earners—those making more than $4 million a year—would receive an average tax cut of nearly $390,000 in 2026 alone. Meanwhile, the lowest-income families could see their taxes go up or their benefits cut. This tax policy is unfair and deeply unsustainable. 

“Despite these harmful cuts to essential services, the bill still increases the deficit by $3.3 trillion over the next decade, further weakening our fiscal stability just as American families are dealing with higher costs and economic uncertainty. If enacted, this bill would push the national debt to $56.8 trillion by 2034—or even higher if temporary provisions are extended, as many expect. The legislation also includes a $5.5 trillion increase to the debt ceiling, not to invest in our future, but to finance tax cuts that benefit those who need them the least. 

“This is not a serious or responsible budget. It asks working families, veterans, and students to sacrifice, while rewarding the ultra-wealthy with permanent giveaways. I believe we need a budget that protects essential services, invests in opportunity, and restores fiscal integrity—not one that shifts the burden onto those already struggling to get by. 

“I’ll continue to fight for a fairer path forward—one that puts people first and reflects the values of the communities I serve.” 

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Background 

According to nonpartisan estimates, the legislation would: 
 

• Cut nearly $715B from Medicaid, affecting coverage for millions of children, seniors, and low-income families. In WA-09, 204,721 people rely on Medicaid (also known in Washington as Apple Health) for their health care. This includes 91,975 children under the age of 19 and 17,000 seniors over 65 in WA-09;
• It would also eliminate enhanced ACA tax credits, causing premiums to rise by $1,620 a year for the 29,000 people in WA-09 who rely on the ACA. For example, a 60-year-old couple in WA-09 making $85,000 would see their premiums spike by $16,905 a year, a 234% increase;
• Reduce SNAP funding by $290 billion, impacting food assistance for over 42 million Americans and specifically 95,000 people in WA-09 who use SNAP to help put food on the table;
• Raise taxes on the lowest-income households, while delivering over $5 trillion in tax cuts to the wealthiest individuals;
• Add approximately $7 trillion to the national debt over the next ten years, raising fiscal concerns following a recent U.S. credit downgrade. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Donald Norcross (1st District of New Jersey)

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) voted ‘no’ on President Trump’s and Republicans’ bill that cuts Medicare, Medicaid, and food assistance for seniors, veterans, working families, and children. If passed in the Senate and signed into law, this bill will gut vital programs and would result in nearly 14 million Americans losing their healthcare, all so that Trump and Republicans can give tax cuts to billionaires. 

“I voted a resounding no on the Trump-Republican budget—a cruel plan that strips healthcare and food assistance from millions of seniors, children, veterans, and working families,” said Congressman Donald Norcross. “Budgets reflect values, and tonight Republicans showed they value billionaires over the men and women who build, serve, and sustain this country every day. This Trump-Republican scam was rushed through in the dead of night for a reason: they know they’ve betrayed the American people. Their cuts to home and long-term care put lives at risk, especially for our seniors. How dare they try to rip away basic rights from the people who we were elected to serve—we will fight back.”

The Trump-Republican Scam will result in:

• The biggest loss of healthcare coverage in American history.
• According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill would result in $500 billion in cuts to Medicare.
• When legislation significantly adds to the national debt, this triggers “sequestration,” or mandatory budget reductions, forcing programs including Medicare to cut 4 percent of its budget annually, or $500 billion over 10 years.
• The bill will strip healthcare away from nearly 14 million Americans according to estimates by CBO.
• Increases out-of-pocket costs for Medicaid recipients by making people pay higher copays when they visit the doctor.
• Roughly 60 percent of the people who would lose Medicaid coverage would be seniors.
• The Joint Economic Committee estimates that 24,220 people in NJ-01 will lose their health insurance.

• The deepest cuts to food assistance ever.
• At least 3 million people will lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in an average month according to estimates by CBO.
• According to the Urban Institute, 18.3 million children could lose access to free school meals, either through individual certification or through their school or state’s participation in universal school meal programs.

• Handing trillions in tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations.
• Someone making over $1 million a year gets an $82,000 tax cut, while working people will pay more for groceries, healthcare, and energy.
• The top 0.1% stands to gain $278,000 per year, while the average family gets just $1,000.

• Exploding the debt and jeopardizing the economy.
• According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), this bill would add $3.8 trillion to the national debt. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

In Early Morning Floor Speech, Pressley Made Final Appeal to Republicans to Reject Bill That Would Make Millions Poorer, Sicker, Hungrier, and More Vulnerable

Bill Would Rip Away Healthcare and Food Assistance from Millions, Harm Everyone in America to Fund More Tax Breaks for Billionaires Like Elon Musk and Donald Trump

Floor Speech (YouTube)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement on the House’s passage of Republicans’ cruel reconciliation bill, which would gut Medicaid and SNAP, and rip healthcare and food assistance away from millions of people, including in Massachusetts. In an early morning speech on the House floor, Congresswoman Pressley made a direct, final appeal to her Republican colleagues to oppose this cruel and harmful bill.

“Today, under the cover of night, House Republicans rammed through a cruel, callous, and morally bankrupt bill that would gut Medicaid, slash food assistance, and kick 14 million people off their healthcare—all to shower toy spaceship billionaires like Donald Trump and Elon Musk with hundreds of billions more in tax giveaways. This legislation would make communities in the Massachusetts 7^th and across the country poorer, sicker, hungrier, and more vulnerable.

“This bill would rip food out of the mouths of families already struggling to put meals on the table. It would decimate healthcare in America and worsen our maternal health crisis. It would gut mental health funding under SAMHSA and cut cancer research, putting lives at risk and turning its back on people struggling with addiction, mental health crises, cancer diagnoses, and much, much more. 

“This bill is a shameful betrayal of our shared humanity. I urge the Senate to stand with the people and reject this heinous legislation. This is a somber day, but this fight is not over.”

Across Massachusetts, over 955,000 Medicaid enrollees are at risk of losing healthcare coverage under MassHealth, the Commonwealth’s Medicaid program, due to the bill’s work reporting requirements for Medicaid. In the Massachusetts 7^th Congressional District, approximately 135,000 enrollees would lose coverage.

Republicans’ extreme budget plan also threatens the approximately 1,216,000 people in the Commonwealth who depend on SNAP to put food on the table, including 187,000 people in the Massachusetts 7^th Congressional District.

Congresswoman Pressley has been an outspoken critic of this harmful legislation since its inception.

• Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech in which she slammed the bill’s proposed Medicaid cuts, which would decimate reproductive healthcare in America and worsen maternal health outcomes.
• Rep. Pressley co-hosted a press conference with Color of Change to oppose the Republicans’ cruel and harmful budget reconciliation package, which would gut critical programs like Medicaid and SNAP.
• Rep. Pressley rallied with caregivers, advocates, and fellow lawmakers at a 24-hour vigil to protect Medicaid from Republicans’ cruel budget cuts that would devastate communities across this country.
• In the House Oversight Committee’s markup of the Republican reconciliation bill, Rep. Pressley demanded Republicans answer to the families who would go hungry by way of this reconciliation bill – and she was met with silence.
• In the House Financial Services Committee’s markup of the Republican reconciliation bill, Rep. Pressley condemned the bill’s proposed cuts to Medicaid and shared the story of Mary Marinelli, a 70-year-old hospice nurse from a Republican district in Michigan whose family depends on Medicaid to care for their autistic son.
• In an impassioned speech on the House floor, Rep. Pressley slammed Republicans’ cruel and callous budget resolution that would slash Medicaid and other critical government services to pay for trillions of dollars in tax giveaways for Donald Trump’s billionaire donors.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Rutherford (4th District of Florida)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, U.S. Congressman John H. Rutherford (FL-05) released the following statement on the House passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill:

The One Big Beautiful Bill will give Americans a much-needed tax break AND refocus our country on delivering for the American people. That’s why I voted YES.

Contrary to what you are hearing about the One Big Beautiful Bill, it will NOT be a huge deficit bill. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) was wrong about the original Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) score in 2017. They failed then to account for the tremendous economic growth caused by tax relief for hardworking, middle-class Americans. So, why should we believe them now?

This bill will NOT cut Medicaid and SNAP benefits – it WILL strengthen these programs for future generations.

The Big Beautiful Bill WILL:

• Continue to boost our economy
• Make President Trump’s tax cuts permanent
• Focus resources on permanently closing the Southern Border
• Incentivize Made-In-America cars and manufacturing
• End taxes on tips and overtime pay
• Slash taxes on Social Security, offering historic tax relief to seniors
• Increase the Child Tax Credit
• Secure more than a trillion dollars in mandatory savings
• Cap SALT deductions
• Update air traffic control system to ensure Americans fly safely and efficiently
• Unleash American energy dominance
• Cut Green New Deal policies
• Revolutionize our national security and America’s maritime dominance