Hawley introduces bill to reverse Medicaid cuts he voted for

Axios – Tuesday, July 15, 2025
By Sareen Habeshian

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced a legislation Tuesday to halt any future cuts to Medicaid hospital funding, two weeks after voting for the slashes as part of President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”

The big picture: Hawley has emerged as a key player pushing back on a major Medicaid overhaul, which would include nearly $1 trillion in rollbacks over the next 10 years.

Driving the news: The “Protect Medicaid and Rural Hospitals Act” introduced Tuesday, if passed, would repeal a provider tax moratorium and the future reduction of provider tax authority in the reconciliation bill.

• “This would restore a key aspect of Medicaid funding that states rely on to finance their programs,” Hawley’s office said in a press release.
• It also aims to repeal provisions in the reconciliation bill related to state directed payments that could reduce Medicaid reimbursements.

What he’s saying: “President Trump has always said we have to protect Medicaid for working people,” Hawley said in a statement. “Now is the time to prevent any future cuts to Medicaid from going into effect.”

• “I want to see Medicaid reductions stopped and rural hospitals fully funded permanently,” he added.

By the numbers: More than 1.2 million children and adults are enrolled in Missouri Medicaid, also known as MO HealthNet, according to KFF. That’s about 20% of the state’s population.

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