Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Monday announced that he has introduced legislation that would repeal health care cuts included in the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act also would permanently extend the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that are set to expire at the end of this year.
“The worst is already starting, with hospital closures across the country and layoffs right here in New York,” he said in announcing the legislation. “The panic is setting in for Republicans, so I hope they will join me to reverse these cuts and save our hospitals.”
The legislation passed by a Republican Congress and signed into law by President Trump would decrease Medicaid spending by around $1 trillion by 2034, and the number of uninsured individuals would increase by 10 million, the Congressional Budget estimated.
The American Rescue Plan Act enacted during the pandemic increased the amount of premium tax credits and expanded Marketplace eligibility to households with an annual income more than 400% of the federal poverty limit. It also capped out-of-pocket premiums for a benchmark plan at 8.5% of income. Since the introduction of the enhanced tax credits, ACA marketplace enrollment has more than doubled, from 11.4 million in 2020 to 24.3 million in 2025, according to KFF.
Schumer cited the potential impact of the health care cuts while speaking to an audience in Auburn, N.Y.
“Over 32,000 people in Central New York are expected to lose health care, and these cuts will be felt especially hard in Cayuga, where Auburn Medical Center receives more than $40 million annually from Medicaid,” he said. “Trump is feeding Medicaid to the sharks just to give tax breaks to his billionaire friends.”
Schumer said the cuts will shift the costs of care to local governments, forcing county executives and state legislators to decide where to make up for the huge budget hole caused by the staggering loss in federal funding.
“We depend on over $40 million from Medicaid every year to care for tens of thousands of patients and employ hundreds of health care workers in rural communities across Cayuga County,” said Scott Berlucchi, president and CEO of Auburn Community Hospital. “Our rural friends’ and neighbors’ lives literally depend on the ability to seek care and find it close to home.”
The entire Senate Democratic caucus has signed on to cosponsor the bill, Schumer said. Some Republican senators also have expressed concern about the steep cuts to Medicaid. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced a bill last month that would establish a rural hospital fund of $100 billion that would be available for 10 years to help hospitals such as Auburn Community Hospital offset their losses. Trump’s bill set aside $50 billion over five years for rural hospitals, a concession made to gain the support of Republican senators in rural states.
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