Eighteen Republican senators, including former Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky, voted in favor of advancing an amendment introduced by Senator Susan Collins of Maine. This amendment aims to assist rural hospitals grappling with sudden Medicaid cuts impacting high earners.
The GOP senators supported a move to waive the budget order for Collins’ amendment, which targets individuals making over $25 million annually and couples earning more than $50 million per year.
This proposal seeks to enlarge the GOP’s Rural Hospital Relief Fund, increasing it from $25 billion to $50 billion.
However, the procedural effort ultimately failed with a vote of 22-78, which caught some senators off guard.
One Republican aide reportedly expressed surprise that so many members, including those with substantial incomes, backed a tax hike.
At one point, the aide noted, “There was a time when Republicans were disciplined about tax increases. Glover must have been pulling out his hair,” referring to Glover No-Quist, the head of an American tax reform organization.
Reflecting on the shift, the source remarked, “I think this is Trump’s Republican Party,” hinting at the more populist stance on economic issues under Trump’s leadership.
Last month, Trump commented on social media that he was “alright” with increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans.
When asked about revisiting tax hikes for the affluent to balance cuts for middle and working-class families, Trump responded, “Honestly, I want to do that.”
Among those Republicans who supported the proposal were Shelley Moore Capito from West Virginia, Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, John Curtis from Utah, Deb Fisher from Nevada, Lindsey Graham from South Carolina, Josh Hawley from Missouri, John Husted from Ohio, Cindy Hyde-Smith from Mississippi, John Kennedy from Mississippi, McConnell, Jerry Moran from Kansas, Bernie Moreno from Ohio, Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, Dan Sullivan from Alaska, Roger Wicker from Mississippi, and Todd Young from Indiana.
Collins also cast her vote to abandon the Order Point Object for her proposal.
