Republicans Are Delivering for Hospital Workers and Health Care Professionals

Majority Leader | Research | The Leader Board | THE NEWSR...Skip to primary navigation Skip to content×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNE×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNExxsearchxMENUFacebookXInstagramFacebookXInstagramVisit Leader Thune's South Dakota Site Here THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNExxsearchxMENUHomeTHE NEWSROOMThe Leader Board03.05.26Republicans Are Delivering for Hospital Workers and Health Care ProfessionalsThis National Hospitalist Day, Health Care Workers Are Benefitting From Republicans’ Health Care and Tax Policies THANKS TO THE WORKING FAMILIES TAX CUTS, LIFE IS MORE AFFORDABLE FOR HOSPITAL WORKERS, INCLUDING HOSPITALISTSAs part of Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cuts law, “Congress made a bevy of tax changes for 2025… offering a new tax break on car loan interest, a portion of tips and overtime pay; and a $200 increase per child in the child tax credit…” (CNN: Why federal tax refunds may be bigger than usual – 1/26/26)Thanks to Republicans preventing a tax increase on the American people of over $4 trillion, tax filers in every income bracket will see lower rates:“A single adult with two kids, making $40,000: Tax cut of $2,010”“A married couple filing jointly, with two kids, making $85,000: Tax cut of $2,425”“A married couple filing jointly, with three kids, making $110,000: Tax cut of $3,580” (U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: Working Families Tax Cuts – accessed 3/5/26; U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: Working Families Tax Cuts Bring Bigger Paychecks – 1/16/26; Tax Foundation: 2026 Tax Calculator: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s Tax Changes Will Affect You – 10/1/25)The law’s no tax on overtime provision creates new opportunities for workers: “A single adult, making $75,000, of which $10,000 is qualified overtime: Tax cut of $4,192.” (U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: Working Families Tax Cuts Bring Bigger Paychecks – 1/16/26; Tax Foundation: 2026 Tax Calculator: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s Tax Changes Will Affect You – 10/1/25)“The health care industry employed over 17 million people in 2023, making it the largest employment sector in the United States.”This includes “over four million registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) as of 2023,” many of whom will benefit from the Working Families Tax Cuts’ no tax on overtime provision. (U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration: State of the U.S. Health Care Workforce, 2024 – Nov. 2024; U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: Working Families Tax Cuts Bring Bigger Paychecks – 1/16/26)“According to a distributional analysis from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT)—which previously estimated the tax bill provides more than $600 billion in new tax relief to middle-class households—the largest proportional tax benefits go to workers and families making less than $50,000.” (U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: One Big Beautiful Bill: New Tax Relief Overwhelmingly Benefits Working Class – 7/1/25)As of 2024, the median pay was lower than $50,000 for occupations such as EMTs and paramedics, medical assistants, phlebotomists, nursing assistants and orderlies, and medical transcriptionists. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Healthcare Occupations – accessed 3/5/26)REPUBLICANS’ WORKING FAMILIES TAX CUTS LAW ALSO CREATED A TRANSFORMATIVE $50 BILLION FUND FOR RURAL HEALTH CARE“[A]pproximately 60 million people in the United States—20% of the population… live in rural communities and rely on rural hospitals for their health care.” (Bipartisan Policy Center: Rural Hospitals and the Rural Health Transformation Program: What Comes Next – 7/10/25)Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cuts law created a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation program for all 50 states “to strengthen and modernize health care in rural communities across the country.” (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: CMS Announces $50 Billion in Awards to Strengthen Rural Health in All 50 States – 12/29/25)“This unprecedented investment is designed to empower states to transform the existing rural health care infrastructure and build sustainable health care systems that expand access, enhance quality of care, and improve outcomes for patients.” (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: CMS Launches Landmark $50 Billion Rural Health Transformation Program – 9/15/25)“The program has five broad goals — promoting preventive care and addressing chronic disease management, improving rural providers’ financial sustainability and efficiency, retaining and recruiting rural healthcare workers for at least five years, developing and implementing innovative payment models, and improving access to innovative technologies, including remote care and digital health tools.” (Healthcare Dive: CMS opens applications for Rural Health Transformation Fund – 9/16/25)“[D]isbursements for states are between $145 million and $281 million for 2026, amounts largely driven by how large a state’s rural population is. Annual allotments will be reassessed based on states’ ability to meet the criteria laid out in their applications.” (Politico: Trump admin doles out billions for rural health – 12/29/25)NUMEROUS STATES ARE USING FUNDS THEY RECEIVE FROM THE RURAL HOSPITAL TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM TO PROMOTE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND INCREASE HIRING“Another prominent theme was the need to strengthen the rural health workforce through both recruitment and retention strategies.” (State Health & Value Strategies: Innovating and Investing in Rural Health: How States Propose Spending the $50 Billion Rural Health Transformation Fund – 12/12/25)Several states have outlined their plans to use Rural Health Transformation program funding to improve hospitals’ workforce development:In Alabama, which received $203 million in funds for 2026, “The largest distribution of funds in the first year will go to the Rural Workforce Initiative.” (Alabama Reflector: Alabama plans to spend $203 million federal grant on rural health, workforce – 2/5/26)“Utah highlighted its ‘Grow-Your-Own’ pathway that connects high school students to healthcare certifications.” (State Health & Value Strategies: Innovating and Investing in Rural Health: How States Propose Spending the $50 Billion Rural Health Transformation Fund – 12/12/25)With Rural Health Transformation program funding, New Hampshire aims to “Attract, train, and retain a highly-skilled healthcare workforce in NH by strengthening recruitment and retention of current healthcare workers and providing opportunities for new entrants to the healthcare workforce.” (State of New Hampshire: Rural Health Transformation – Nov. 2025)Illinois plans to use funding to “[a]ddress urgent gaps in the rural healthcare workforce by offering access to scholarship, training, apprenticeship, and incentive programs through the state’s university and community college systems and in partnership with rural healthcare employers across the state.” (Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services: Illinois awarded $193 million to expand healthcare access in rural areas – 12/31/25)PrintEmailTweetPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram