Democratic U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin sounded a hopeful note on Monday that some Republicans might be willing to negotiate to restore health care funding that was stripped out under the so called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed by President Donald Trump in July.
Democrats have been sounding the alarm over the provisions of the bill, which could result in steeper health care costs or loss of coverage for millions of people. Republicans argued the cuts were necessary to trim government spending.
Slotkin was in Grand Rapids Monday, touring the Helen Devos Children’s Hospital to hear firsthand how the cuts could affect families locally.
“It’s just hearing the real, detailed stories of what’s going to happen to the institutions we care about and the services they provide,” Slotkin said, standing outside the hospital.
Slotkin mentioned an analysis by the Michigan Hospital Association, which said the cuts would be “disastrous” for Michigan, leading to $6 billion in cuts to Medicaid alone over the next decade.
Slotkin said a rollback of subsidies for the Affordable Care Act would also make health care more expensive for Michigan families. And she said cuts to medical research would make it more difficult for patients to get advances in treatment in the future.
“We talked about just the specialized care for our youngest patients with cancer,” Slotkin said of her visit to Devos Children’s Hospital. “And how, when you’re one of those families, you are dependent on the newest drug to come out.”
Slotkin said she’s focused on finding ways to undo the cuts in the bill, and she said the first opportunity will come at the end of September, when Congress must pass a spending package to avoid a government shutdown.
She said she believes some of her Republican colleagues agreed that the health spending cuts go too far.
“Well, great,” she said is her response. “You know, I’m sorry that you voted for the bill in the first place without reading it. But if you’re willing to amend it and you want to have a real adult conversation, let’s kick out the media and really get to work.”
Slotkin said she’s willing to meet with Republicans to reach an agreement on the upcoming spending bills, but she said she’s focused on returning health care funding — including restoring subsidies to make Affordable Care Act plans cost less, and restoring funding for scientific research.
“Because I don’t think anyone in their right mind wants to cut people’s health care,” Slotkin said.
