The Senate Finance Committee is holding a hearing on President Trump’s 2026 health care agenda.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. responded to a question from Committee Chairman Mike Crapo about rural hospital funding, which is what some lawmakers are calling a key feature in the “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
“We’ve had 120 rural hospitals closed over the past ten years. These institutions are not just delivering health access to rural Americans, but they’re economic centers that are cultural centers for those communities are often the largest employer. They are the highest-paying jobs. and they are the centerpiece of those communities. So when they die, the communities collapse.”
Kennedy said the legislation includes a historic $50 billion investment in rural health over the next five years, which he says is a 50 percent increase in federal support to help stem the crisis facing rural hospitals. While some critics have blamed the bill for recent struggles in the sector, Chairman Crapo pushed back, saying those issues predate the legislation.
Supplemental Disaster Relief Program Stage Two will disburse around $16 billion, approved by Congress last year. Sign-ups begin Monday, and producers have until April to return applications.
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Removing the 40% duty sharply lowers U.S. beef import costs on beef, coffee, fertilizer and fruit, and restores Brazil’s competitiveness during a period of tight domestic supply.
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Row crop losses in 2025 are outpacing last year. With no disaster aid yet approved, many operations face a tough financial bridge to 2026 even as Farm Bill improvements remain a year away.
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Experts say farmers and ethanol producers would benefit from a risk-based ILUC system that protects forests without relying on speculative modeling.
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The White House is now preparing to restore an Endangered Species Act (ESA) rule from the first Trump Administration.
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Mary-Thomas Hart, with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, discusses the latest WOTUS developments and their implications for agriculture.
November 19, 2025 03:05 PM
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