Sullivan voted for the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that resulted in over 37,000 Alaskans losing health coverage. Sullivan claimed that Alaska was in “good shape” regarding Medicaid funding following passage of the bill, calling it a “big win” for rural hospitals and healthcare. Sullivan applauded the Rural Health Transformation Fund (RHTF) included in the bill as “huge for Alaska.” The Center For Medicaid And Medicare Services (CMS), however, capped usage of the $50 billion fund at 15% for health provider payments, including to rural hospitals.
Sullivan Claimed Alaska “Really Did Well” In The Reconciliation Bill And That The State Was In “Good Shape” Regarding Medicaid And SNAP. According to Alaska’s News Source, “Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, told Alaska’s News Source ‘the one state that really, really did well in this bill was the great state of Alaska.’ ‘This is a jobs bill for Alaska,’ he said. ‘This is all about creating really good strong private sector-led jobs on the resource development side.’ [...] Sullivan said Alaska was a state removed from the brunt of the cuts, saying the only reductions are from provider taxes and state directed payments, neither of which, he insisted, Alaska uses. ‘I was able to get a rural hospital fund negotiated, a big expansion of it last night, $50 billion for rural hospitals,’ he said. ‘I anticipate Alaska in the next 5 years, we’ll be getting at least $200 million additional federal dollars for hospitals, for Medicaid, for helping patients. So it’s a big win for our rural hospitals and healthcare as well.’ When asked if he was worried for the people who relied on Medicaid and SNAP benefits, Sullivan said the state is ‘in good shape,’ reiterating Alaska is in a different spot because he said Alaska does not use provider taxes or state directed payments.” [Alaska’s News Source, 7/2/25]
Sullivan Claimed The Bill Would Strengthen The Alaskan Health Care System. According to the Alaska Beacon, “But much of Sullivan’s speech was devoted to arguments trying to counter criticism of the bill’s impacts to federal health and public assistance programs. Accusations that the bill cut Medicaid and other health care programs, in Alaska and elsewhere, are inaccurate, said Sullivan, who has already been the subject of political attack ads on the subject. ‘This bill, we are very confident, is going to strengthen, not weaken, Alaska’s health care system,’ he told the chamber audience. Rather than cut benefits, the bill cuts waste, Sullivan said. There are several special provisions that protect Alaska from some of the biggest changes in the safety net, he added. [...] ‘If you’re a young man and you’re able-bodied, you have no dependents and you’re 28 years old, and you’re on the Medicaid expansion population, and you’re told to go work or train or volunteer for 20 hours, and you don’t do it, you lose your Medicaid,’ Sullivan said. ‘That’s not a cut. That is a choice.’” [Alaska Beacon, 11/25/25]
Sullivan Claimed Alaska Has “Unique Challenges” That Necessitated The Change and Carveout When Asked Why Other States Should Not Get The Same Considerations And Called The Provisions “Good Legislating.” “SULLIVAN: And that had the support of the White House, support of all the Republicans, something I've been working on for almost 10 years. Alaska gets a very low match in terms of Medicaid, one of the lowest in the country, which I think makes no sense. So this changes the formula to help states like mine that have very high health care costs. So that was in the bill, and Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats literally challenged every single good provision in that bill dealing with Alaska. And I mean every provision. Schumer definitely made himself clear that he was the anti-Alaska senator in the Senate. Everything- we fought him. We beat him back on almost everything. They won. Chuck Schumer stripped out a Medicaid increase for Alaska. It was tough on me, because I've been working on that for a long time. We pivoted. We got the Rural Health Care Transformation fund and increased– HOST: You got exemptions for Alaska Natives for new Medicaid and SNAP or food stamps. Work requirements waived for indigenous people. Alaska gets a larger share of rural hospital funds. Why shouldn't people living in other states get those same considerations? SULLIVAN: Well, we have unique challenges up here. Come on up to Alaska– [...] HOST: And it was a tight vote. Well, Alaska had a lot of leverage here. SULLIVAN: It's called- It's called good legislating.” [CBS News, 8/15/25] 250815_HEB_13623_A
Sullivan Said He Was “First And Foremost The Senator For Alaska” And Is Focused On His Constituents’ Needs. “I'm first and foremost the Senator for Alaska. But I care about the rest of the country too, which is why I focus a lot on energy, a lot on our national security, a lot on border security. I care a lot about the border security in the southern part of America. So you know, all senators do that. They take care of their own state. They legislate to help their constituents. My constituents have unique needs, but we also bring a lot to the table for our great country. Like I said, we're protecting the whole country in terms of missile defense right now, we have a huge military up here that we love, that is protecting our interests in the North Pacific, in the Arctic, and we are unleashing American energy, which, of course, helps Alaska but helps America. When Alaska is doing well on energy issues, on critical mineral issues, that helps my constituents but helps the country. And that's again, why I'm so appreciative of the President and his team on recognizing that. The Biden guys, all they wanted to do was shut us down, close off our state. That didn't help anybody. All that helped was the Russians and the Iranians and the Venezuelans.” [CBS News, 8/15/25] 250815_HEB_13623_A
Sullivan Claimed The Bill Would “Dramatically Benefit” Working Families. According to an Anchorage Daily News op-ed by Senator Dan Sullivan, “The bill also dramatically benefits Alaska’s working families, enabling them to keep more of what they earn by extending the 2017 tax cuts and making them permanent, preventing what would have been a $4 trillion tax hike. We secured an increased child tax credit and standard deduction, small-business deductions, no taxes on tips or overtime, and significant tax relief for seniors. The Council of Economic Advisers predicts this legislation will increase take-home pay for an average family by more than $7,000.” [Senator Dan Sullivan Op-Ed - Anchorage Daily News, 7/11/25]
Sullivan Argued The OBBB Had The “Most Significant Spending Reductions In History" While Simultaneously Boasting About Investments In The Coast Guard And The Southern Border. According to an Anchorage Daily News op-ed by Senator Dan Sullivan, “The OBBB also achieves the most significant spending reductions in history. According to nonpartisan scorekeepers, the bill reduces federal spending by more than $1.5 trillion and, using the current policy baseline, will reduce the deficit by $400 billion over ten years. That is before considering the pro-growth elements of the bill. As chairman of the Senate Subcommittee overseeing the U.S. Coast Guard, I also fought to secure the largest investment in Coast Guard history — nearly $25 billion. This includes funding for 16 new icebreakers and $300 million to homeport the new Juneau icebreaker. The urgency of this cannot be overstated, with the Russians and Chinese racing to control our Arctic waters. And, with the ‘Golden Dome’ initiative substantially funded by the OBBB, we’re building the next generation of homeland missile defense — Alaska being the cornerstone — to protect the entire country. The bill also commits more than $100 million to redevelop existing Arctic infrastructure, like the Adak Naval Base. This bill secures our southern border with the most robust enforcement package in a generation — $46 billion for the wall, billions more for Border Patrol and law enforcement and substantial resources to crack down on deadly fentanyl coming into Alaska.” [Senator Dan Sullivan Op-Ed - Anchorage Daily News, 7/11/25]
Sullivan Claimed Medicare Was Not Impacted By The Bill And That “Not One Dollar In Medicaid Benefits WasCut For Alaskans”, Arguing That The “Only People Who Were Advocating For Medicaid Cuts Were [...] Democrats.” According to an Anchorage Daily News op-ed by Senator Dan Sullivan, “Finally, I know Alaska has been flooded with dishonest ads by far-left groups — at the direction of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer — scaring Alaskans with false claims that the OBBB will cause them to lose Medicare and Medicaid. Here’s the truth. Medicare isn’t touched in the OBBB. Not one dollar in Medicaid benefits was cut for Alaskans. This bill actually strengthens health care in Alaska. The only people who were advocating for Medicaid cuts for Alaskans were Sen. Schumer and Senate Democrats. They stripped out a provision I included in the bill to help Alaska’s rural hospitals and increase the federal match for Medicaid for Alaska, which would’ve amounted to hundreds of millions more dollars a year.” [Senator Dan Sullivan Op-Ed - Anchorage Daily News, 7/11/25]
Sullivan Claimed That Senator Schumer Attempted To Strip $200 Million In Funding for Alaskan Health Care. According to an Anchorage Daily News op-ed by Senator Dan Sullivan, “Further, Sen. Schumer tried, but failed, to strip out other significant funding — approximately $200 million a year for the next five years — for Alaska’s health care system.” [Senator Dan Sullivan Op-Ed - Anchorage Daily News, 7/11/25]
Sullivan Argued That Medicaid Cut Estimates Are Inaccurate For Alaska As The State Does Not Use Provider Taxes Or State Directed Payments. According to the Alaska Beacon, “Sullivan said he believes estimates of the cuts’ effect are inaccurate when it comes to Alaska. For example, one change would effectively lower payments to providers by reducing a tax on providers that is reimbursed by the federal government. ‘We are the only state that doesn’t use provider taxes or state directed payments, so the Medicaid programs and federal funds that the state receives are not impacted by the provided tax reforms in this bill, because we don’t do that,’ he said.” [Alaska Beacon, 7/1/25]
Sullivan Supported The Medicaid Work Requirement Included In The Bill. According to the Alaska Beacon, “Adult Alaskans who receive Medicaid will be required to work, volunteer or undergo job training for at least 20 hours per week unless they are sick, have children or care for older people. Sullivan said he supports that requirement and noted that Alaska Natives are exempt, as are people who live in places with high unemployment, have mental health problems or are pregnant.” [Alaska Beacon, 7/1/25]
When Asked About The Ban On Medicaid Funds Used For Planned Parenthood, Sullivan Said Alaskans Have Other Options. According to the Alaska Beacon, “A non-Alaska-specific portion of the bill bans Medicaid from paying for any services at Planned Parenthood. Rebecca Gibron, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky, said by email that the provision puts millions of lives at risk across the country. ‘Our health centers save Alaska nearly $5 million each year by preventing unplanned pregnancies, catching cancers early, and controlling the spread of STIs (sexually transmitted infections). Stripping that care away, especially now — amid rural hospital closures, a maternal mortality crisis, and a deepening provider shortage — would push an already broken system past the brink,’ she said. Asked about that section, Sullivan said he thinks Alaskans have other options, such as hospitals and community health centers.” [Alaska Beacon, 7/1/25]
Sullivan Said He Was “Really Focused” On Increasing The Share Of Medicaid Paid For By The Federal Government In Alaska But That He Did Not Consider Voting Against The Bill When That Did Not Happen. According to the Anchorage Daily News, “In a press call Tuesday afternoon, Sullivan said he was ‘really, really, really focused’ on increasing the share of Alaska’s Medicaid costs covered by the federal government. ‘I literally went all the way to very senior folks in the administration and all my Republican colleagues, saying, ‘I need this provision,’ he said. When the provision was stripped from the bill after the Senate parliamentarian found it violated chamber rules, Sullivan said it was “a giant, enormous frustration.’ ‘I had a little bit of a dark night of the soul,’ said Sullivan. ‘When you work hard on something that you know is right for the people you represent, and then it kind of goes down the drain, it was frustrating.’ But he said he didn’t consider voting against the bill when that happened.” [Anchorage Daily News, 7/1/25]
Sullivan Claimed He Secured “Significant Funding” To Modernize Healthcare, Stabilize Rural Healthcare, Improve Patient Outcomes, And Maintain Coverage For Vulnerable Alaskans. According to a press release by Senator Dan Sullivan, “Finally, contrary to the fear mongering from critics and naysayers for months on this legislation, I was able to secure significant funding—I am confident it will exceed about $200 million per year for five years—to modernize Alaska’s health system, stabilize our rural providers, improve patient outcomes, keep standalone hospitals open, and empower state leaders to maintain coverage for vulnerable Alaskans. The bill also includes commonsense work requirements for these benefits, ensuring able-bodied Americans utilizing these programs are contributing to our economy, and shoring up the social safety net program for those it was intended to support–struggling single parents, children and individuals with disabilities or mental health challenges. At the same time, Alaska faces challenges that no other state deals with, which is why we secured flexibility for our state government to implement the new Medicaid and SNAP work requirements, giving the state breathing room to fix program challenges without hurting Alaskans who rely on these benefits.” [Press Release - Senator Dan Sullivan, 7/1/25]
37,000 Alaskans Would Lose Health Coverage Under The Bill. [Joint Economic Committee Minority, Accessed On 12/18/25]
Usage Of The Rural Health Care Transformation Fund Was Capped At 15% For Health Care Provider Payments, Including To Rural Hospitals. According to the Georgetown Center For Children And Families, “CMS released the state “Notice of Funding Opportunity” detailing for states how they could apply for RHTF funds and what the restrictions would be. CMS lists as a condition of funding that states cannot exceed use of 15% of federal funding awarded to the state for health provider payments – including payments to rural hospitals.” [Georgetown Center For Children And Families, 10/21/25]
Alaskan Native Tribes Would Not Apply Directly For Rural Health Care Transformation Funds.
According to the Alaska Beacon, “The Trump administration is touting its $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program as the largest-ever U.S. investment in rural health care. But the government made minimal mention of Native American tribes in sparsely populated areas and in need of significant improvements to health care access. Federally recognized tribes can’t directly apply for a share of the rural health fund — only states can. And states aren’t required to consider tribes’ needs. But state applications for the five-year payout show some states with significant Native American populations did so anyway.” [Alaska Beacon, 12/4/25]