Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-Alaska) message so far on the One Big Beautiful Bill: wait for her legislative fix.
Murkowski’s first public stop back home for August recess was to the Alaska Native Health Board on Tuesday. While there, Murkowksi, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to calm fears about the impact of the GOP’s reconciliation law.
Murkowski has planned a slate of meetings around the state to help ease anxieties about Medicaid and SNAP provisions — measures that she had referred to as the law’s shortcomings.
The news conference held after the health board meeting offered the first taste of how OBBB skeptics like Murkowski are toeing the line on selling legislation they’ve criticized.
When asked about how Congress and the administration will address the high cost of healthcare in Alaska, Murkowski said she wants to extend the soon-expiring Obamacare premium tax credits. There’s a “legislative effort” to achieve that before the end of the year, she said.
“There are no direct cuts to Medicaid through this reconciliation bill, but if people get pushed off of Medicaid — whether it’s not being able to meet work requirements, failing to comply with that, the answer will be, we’ll move to the exchange,” Murkowski said. “But if the exchange is no longer affordable, then it doesn’t help people.”
Remember, that’s a momentous task for lawmakers to get done and not guaranteed.
The tough sell. Murkowski, Sullivan and Kennedy emphasized that the GOP reconciliation bill didn’t cut Medicare or Social Security, demonstrating another challenge for Republicans this recess. “If you’re explaining, you’re losing,” as the old adage in Washington goes.
Both Kennedy and Sullivan said the only cuts to Medicaid are in terms of “waste, fraud and abuse,” urging Alaskans to disregard claims otherwise.
Sullivan also touted the $50 billion rural hospital fund as a major win for Alaska. Sullivan said the fund gives Alaska a “big opportunity.”
The fund was originally added by senators who were concerned that rural hospitals might shutter because of Medicaid cuts included in the reconciliation bill. But that’s what this August recess is about: selling what you can.
“We are going to benefit very significantly over the next five years, in terms of our state, from that fund,” Sullivan said.
