¶ Overview
Ciscomani repeatedly promised that he would protect Medicaid and rural health care for Arizonans. Then he voted for a bill that is estimated to kick 17 million Americans off their health coverage, including nearly 12 million Americans who rely on Medicaid. Ciscomani even later admitted that if congress put caps on the provider tax rate Arizona “rural hospitals would suffer,” but he voted for the bill anyway. Nearly 32,000 Arizonans in the 6th congressional district could lose their health coverage as a result of Ciscomani’s votes.
¶ Ciscomani’s Votes Threatened Thousands Of Arizonans’ Access To Affordable Health Care
¶ February 2025: Ciscomani Claimed He Opposed Medicaid Cuts
¶ Ciscomani Urged Republican Leadership Not To Cut Medicaid
2/21/25: Ciscomani Joined A Group Of Representatives From The Congressional Hispanic Conference To Send A Letter To Speaker Mike Johnson Urging Him Not To Cut SNAP, Pell Grants, Or Medicaid. According to the Arizona Daily Star, "Tucson Republican U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani and others advocate against federal aid cuts for SNAP, Pell Grants and Medicaid, but uphold support for funding President Donald Trump’s border security agenda in a letter from the Congressional Hispanic Conference. The conference, a group of Hispanic Republicans in Congress, sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson Wednesday about protecting Hispanic American communities from budget cuts in the new House budget. The House Budget Committee approved its proposed 2025 fiscal year budget on Feb. 13, which is aimed at reducing mandatory spending by approximately $2 trillion, but the House has not voted on it yet. Both the House and the Senate must pass the same budget for it to be accepted and finalized." [Arizona Daily Star, 2/21/25]
- HEADLINE: “Rep. Juan Ciscomani Signals Doubt About GOP's Proposed Medicaid Spending Cuts” [Arizona Republic, 2/22/25]
2/24/25: Ciscomani Shared He Was Concerned About The Republican Budget Package Over Potential Cuts To Medicaid. According to the Hill, "The package directs the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid, to find at least $880 billion in cuts, a figure that many lawmakers believe is only feasible with significant slashes made to the social safety net program. That notion, however, is prompting worries among moderates. ‘I wanna make sure we get to a point where we protect the most vulnerable covered, right now specifically in Medicaid, and there are other issues in there that we need to address as well,’ Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Calif.), who represents a purple district, told reporters." [The Hill, 2/24/25]
¶ Ciscomani Claimed He Wanted To Protect Medicaid For Those Who Needed It Most
Ciscomani On Medicaid: “We've Been Clear On This As Well. We Want To Protect This Vital Service For Those That Need It The Most.” According to an interview Juan Ciscomani did on the Hugh Hewitt show, “HOST: Congressman, Chris Murphy said we're going to cut Medicaid. I don't think that's true. I think they're going to block grant Medicaid and maybe put some work requirements in it. But I don't think we're going to cut Medicaid. Minute to the break and then we'll come back. What do you say? CISCOMANI: Well, that's certainly not the plan. I mean, the president doesn't want to do that. He's been clear on that. We've been clear on this as well. We want to protect this vital service for those that need it the most.” [The Hugh Hewitt Show, 2/26/25] (video)
¶ February 2025: Ciscomani Voted For A Bill That Spelled Out Future Medicaid Cuts
2/25/25: Despite Reservations Over Possible Safety Net Cuts, Ciscomani Voted For The House Republican Budget Package. According to the Arizona Republic, "Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., was among several swing-district Republicans who signed onto a letter last week voicing concern over the proposal's possible cuts to health care, food aid and higher education. Ciscomani had yet to publicly take a position in the hours leading up to the vote, writing on Tuesday afternoon that he would ‘continue to consider all options on the table.’ Ciscomani wound up voting for the package. He wrote in the leadup to the vote: ‘While we must deliver on our promise to right-size the government, we must also work to protect the vital programs that so many Americans rely on when they hit hard times.’" [Arizona Republic, 2/25/25]
- HEADLINE: “House Passes G.O.P. Budget Teeing Up Enormous Tax And Spending Cuts” [New York Times, 2/25/25]
- HEADLINE: “House Sets Up Potential Medicaid Cuts With Budget Bill Passage” [Modern Healthcare, 2/25/25]
- The Congressional Budget Office Found That The House Energy And Commerce Committee Could Not Reach The Spending Reduction Goals Outlined In The House GOP Plan Without Cutting Medicaid Funding. According to CBS News, "An analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that was sent to lawmakers this week showed that budget goals outlined in a House GOP plan could not be reached without reducing spending on Medicaid, clashing with commitments from Republicans not to cut the popular entitlement program. […] The Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid, is tasked with finding at least $880 billion in cuts over the next decade. A pair of House Democrats asked the CBO for the projected mandatory spending on programs under the committee's jurisdiction, excluding Medicare, which offers health coverage for seniors. Medicaid provides government-sponsored health care for low-income Americans, with costs split between the federal government and the states." [CBS News, 3/6/25]
¶ Ciscomani’s Defended His Vote By Claiming The House Republican Budget Bill Was “Restoring Fiscal Responsibility” And Would Not Lead To Medicaid Cuts
Ciscomani Said He Voted In Favor Of The House Republican Budget To Begin The Process Of Reducing The Size Of Government And Restoring Fiscal Responsibility. According to a press release from Rep. Juan Ciscomani, "U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani issued the following statement after voting in favor of H. Con. Res 14, the House Budget Resolution: ‘Our nation recently surpassed $36 trillion in debt and our deficit spending is becoming increasingly unsustainable every day, threatening the stability of vital programs,’ said Ciscomani. ‘As I continue to work to deliver on my promise to reduce the size of the government and restore fiscal responsibility, we must also protect, and in some cases, strengthen vital programs that my constituents and millions of Americans rely on. I voted for this budget resolution to begin this process. The real work starts now. Let’s get to it.’" [Press Release – Rep. Juan Ciscomani, 2/25/25]
Ciscomani Believed People Who Claimed House Republicans Planned To Cut Medicaid Were Spreading Misinformation. According to Arizona Public Media, "CISCOMANI: I just had a conversation on the House floor with the majority leader Steve Scalise yesterday about this same thing. Because unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformation. INTERVIEWER: Like what? CISCOMANI: There are very misleading ads either online or on radio saying that we're going to cut Medicaid, and that was with the bill that was passed yesterday. And with all due respect, that's how you posed the first question that you asked me regarding cutting Medicaid out of 880 billion. So that's not the nature of this. That's not the right premise." [Arizona Public Media, 3/5/25]
- HEADLINE: “What Can House Republicans Cut Instead Of Medicaid? Not Much.” [New York Times, 2/25/25]
- HEADLINE: “Moderate Republicans Who Complained About Medicaid Cuts Voted To Advance Them Anyway” [HuffPost, 2/26/25]
- HEADLINE: “Congressional Budget Office Finds House GOP Budget Goals Would Require Medicaid Cuts” [CBS News, 3/6/25]
Ciscomani Claimed Democrats Were Spreading “Outlandish Lies” About Cuts To Medicaid Despite His Own Warning Of Cuts To The Program Prior To His Vote In Favor Of The Budget Bill That Directed The Energy And Commerce Committee To Slash $880 Billion In Spending. According to the Tucson Sentinel, "But U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani said Friday that Southern Arizona residents who are worried are being fed falsehoods about the GOP's intentions. ‘They may be believing some of the outlandish lies that are being said about cutting Medicaid or cutting veteran benefits, none of which we're doing,’ Ciscomani told the Sentinel. Specific Medicaid cuts have not been written into the budget framework that GOP lawmakers passed in late February to avoid a government shutdown and advance the Trump administration's agenda. But the legislation calls for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid, to cut $880 billion in spending over the next decade. As Kelly noted, ‘there's really only two places they can go. They can go after Medicaid, they can go after Medicare, or they can go after both. It's likely that they cut Medicaid, and those cuts could be significant.’ Ciscomani himself warned that the House budget plan would require steep cuts to Medicaid, shortly before he voted to advance it." [Tucson Sentinel, 3/25/25]
¶ March-May 2025: Ciscomani Claimed It Was A Lie That Republicans Were Cutting Medicaid
Ciscomani: “One Thing They Will Hear From The People That Are Lying About This Is That We're Cutting Medicaid And We're Cutting Medicare, Social Security. Those Are All Absolute Lies.” According to an interview Juan Ciscomani gave on Winn Tucson, “CISCOMANI: And one thing they will hear from the people that are lying about this is that we're cutting Medicaid and we're cutting Medicare, Social Security. Those are all absolute lies. And we need to continue to fight back on that, not be silent and assume that people are going to know that they're lying. No, people are, a lot of people are afraid because they're believing what they're hearing from the left on this. They're absolutely lies. You can, actually you can legally touch Medicare and Social Security through reconciliation. You can't. And then the resolution that we passed has nowhere in there anything about Medicaid. So they're making this up to fearmonger. And we have to continue to set the record straight. And platforms like yours are very important to make sure that we do that.” [Winn Tucson, 3/18/25] (audio)
Ciscomani: “There's Been A Lot Of Misinformation Also Regarding The Medicaid Conversation. I've Been Clear On This. We're Going To Protect It For The People That Need It.” According to an interview Juan Ciscomani gave on the Conservative Circus: “CISCOMANI: "So different committees have been challenged to find areas of savings. Where can we adapt things, reform programs that will actually make sure that the taxpayer dollars are going through. And there's been a lot of misinformation also regarding the Medicaid conversation. I've been clear on this. We're going to protect it for the people that need it. These are the people that the program was intended. The program was created, intended to serve: the single mothers, the disabled, the people that are in poverty, the elderly." [The Conservative Circus, 5/1/25] (audio)
¶ May 2025: Ciscomani Voted for House Republicans’ Budget Bill, Which Would Kick Millions of People Off Medicaid to Give Tax Breaks to Billionaires
2025: Ciscomani Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Included $3.8 Trillion In Tax Cuts Offset By $1.5 Trillion In Spending Reductions To Programs Like Medicaid And The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In May 2025, Ciscomani voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill that would provide for approximately $3.8 trillion in net tax cuts and $321 billion in military, border enforcement and judiciary spending, offset by $1.5 trillion in spending reductions, as instructed in the fiscal 2025 budget resolution (H Con Res 14). It would raise the statutory debt limit by $4 trillion and provide for increased spending on defense and border security, spending cuts on social safety net programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It also includes a mix of tax breaks for businesses and individuals; tax increases on universities and foundations; and a phase-down of clean energy tax credits. […] It would reduce federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by requiring states to shoulder more of the cost, expand work requirements for SNAP, extend programs authorized under the 2018 farm bill, and prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture from increasing the cost of the Thrifty Food Program. As amended, it would cap state and local tax deductions at $40,000 for households with incomes below $500,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 215 to 214. [House Vote 145, 5/22/25; Congressional Quarterly, 5/22/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
- The House GOP Budget Bill Was Estimated To Increase The Uninsured Population By 8.6 Million By 2034. According to CNN, “The Medicaid and Affordable Care Act provisions in the package could result in 8.6 million more people being uninsured in 2034, according to an early CBO estimate released by Democratic lawmakers. That number is expected to grow with the latest changes.” [CNN, 5/28/25]
- The House GOP Budget Bill Codified A Trump Administration Proposal That Restricted Access To The Affordable Care Act. According to CNN, “The bill also calls for codifying a Trump administration proposal that would make changes to the Affordable Care Act enrollment process, including shortening the open enrollment period and eliminating the ability of low-income Americans to sign up year-round.” [CNN, 5/28/25]
- The House GOP Budget Bill Made The 2017 Income Tax Breaks Permanent And Added An Estimated $3.8 Trillion To The National Debt Over 10 Years. According to CNN, “The package includes several controversial measures that would deeply cut into two of the nation’s key safety net programs – Medicaid and food stamps – while making permanent essentially all of the trillions of dollars of individual income tax breaks contained in the GOP’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. What’s more, it would fulfill Trump’s campaign promises to cut taxes on tips and overtime, albeit temporarily. The magnitude of the measures is evident in the estimates of the cost they would incur or the savings they would produce. […] The tax changes in the package would add $3.8 trillion to the nation’s debt over a decade, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis released before last-minute changes were made to the bill.” [CNN, 5/28/25]
¶ June 2025: Ciscomani Admitted if Congress Changed the Provider Tax Rate “Rural Hospitals Would Suffer”
Ciscomani Said If Congress Put Caps On The Provider Tax Rate Arizona Would Lose Billions Of Dollars And “Rural Hospitals Would Suffer.” According to an interview Rep. Juan Ciscomani gave on Wake Up Live, “CISCOMANI: However, there are other things that the that the Senate is playing with, provider tax rate caps specifically that would cost Arizona billions. Rural hospitals would suffer. Many would close. So we we have to, you know, continue to fight against that part of it that goes too far on that. There are other ways that we can do that saving without playing with that.” [Wake Up Live, 6/25/25] (audio)
¶ July 2025: Ciscomani Voted for The Final Version of Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill, Which Could Kick 17 Million Americans Off Their Health Insurance
July 2025: Ciscomani Voted For The Senate FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Extended $4 Trillion In Expiring Tax Cuts, Added New Tax Breaks, Appropriated $448 Billion In Defense, Border, And Immigration Enforcement Funding, Increased The SALT Deduction To $40,000, And Cut Medicaid And Other Social Programs To Offset The Costs. In July 2025, Ciscomani voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the bill that would permanently extend nearly $4 trillion in expiring individual and business tax cuts, create several new tax breaks and fund border and immigration enforcement and air traffic control upgrades. It would cut Medicaid and other safety net programs to partly offset the cost. Among other provisions, it would raise the statutory debt ceiling by $5 trillion and appropriate more than $448 billion in mandatory funding for Trump administration priorities and other needs, including $153 billion for defense, $89 billion for immigration enforcement, and $89.5 billion for border control and security. It also would increase the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000 annually for five years for households making up to $500,000 a year until 2030, when it would permanently revert to $10,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 218 to 214. [House Vote 190, 7/3/25; Congressional Quarterly, 7/3/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
- HEADLINE: "At Least 17 Million Americans Would Lose Insurance Under Trump Plan" [Washington Post, 7/1/25]
- The Congressional Budget Office Estimated That 11.8 Million People Would Become Uninsured As A Result Of The Medicaid Cuts In Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill. According to the Washington Post, "The bill, which narrowly passed the Senate on Tuesday and now heads back to the House, would effectively accomplish what Republicans have long failed to do: unwind many of the key components of the ACA, President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement, which dramatically increased the number of Americans with access to health insurance. To start, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the Senate version of the bill would result in 11.8 million more uninsured in 2034, mostly because of Medicaid cuts, compared with 10.9 million if the House version became law." [Washington Post, 7/1/25]
- The Bill’s $50 Billion In Rural Hospital Relief Funding Would Not Come Close To The Gap Created By Medicaid Cuts, With 300 Rural Hospital At “Immediate Risk” Of Closure. According to the Center For American Progress, “The OBBBA includes $50 billion in relief funding for rural hospitals over a five-year period to help reduce the disastrous impacts of the bill’s roughly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts. As of May 2025, there were approximately 2,086 rural hospitals receiving $12.2 billion a year in net revenue from Medicaid. At the median, rural hospitals’ revenue from Medicaid is $3.9 million a year. Rural hospitals have some of the lowest operating margins in the nation, especially compared with urban hospitals, meaning that any reductions in revenue could lead to closures. The average operating margin for rural hospitals was 3.1 percent in 2023, with 44 percent of rural hospitals operating with negative margins. As a result, more than 300 rural hospitals are currently at ‘immediate risk’ of closure, especially now that the OBBBA is projected to cut Medicaid spending by $1.02 trillion. The relief fund designed to blunt the negative impacts caused by the bill would not come close to filling that gap. If every rural hospital in the country received an even share of the $50 billion in relief support, it would amount to only $4.5 million every year for five years. At the close of those five years, that funding would disappear altogether.” [Center For American Progress, 7/3/25]
- The Final Republican Reconciliation Bill Reduced The Maximum Amount That States That Had Expanded Medicaid Could Claim From Provider Taxes To 3.5 Percent From The Previous Six Percent.
[New York Times, 7/1/25]
- KFF Said States Used Provider Taxes To Help Finance Their Share Of Medicaid Spending, A Program That Is Jointly Financed By Federal And State Governments. According to KFF, "Medicaid is jointly financed by the federal government and the states, with the federal government paying close to 70% of total costs in fiscal year (FY) 2023. States are permitted to finance the non-federal share of Medicaid spending through multiple sources, including state general funds, health-care related taxes (referred to as ‘provider taxes’ throughout this brief), and local government funds." [KFF, 3/26/25]
- Opponents Of Restricting Provider Tax Authority Said It Would Create State Financing Gaps, Which Could Result In Higher State Taxes, Reductions In Coverage, And Fewer Benefits. According to KFF, "Opponents of such restrictions note that provider taxes are permissible under current law and help fund Medicaid; and restricting provider taxes will create financing gaps for states that could result in higher state taxes, reductions in Medicaid eligibility, lower provider payment rates, and fewer covered benefits. Both proponents and opponents of new restrictions agree that the limited data about provider taxes makes it difficult to assess states’ reliance on them as a funding source and to understand how they affect net payments to providers." [KFF, 3/26/25]
- KFF Said States Have Used Provider Tax Revenues To Fund Medicaid “Base” Rates And Supplemental Payments, Avoid Benefit Cuts, Expand Medicaid Benefits, And To Finance ACA Medicaid Expansion. According to KFF, "Medicaid provider taxes are defined as those for which at least 85% of the tax burden falls on health care items or services or entities that provide or pay for health care items or services (see Social Security Act, Section 1903(w)(3)(A)). States use provider tax revenues to fund Medicaid ‘base’ rates and supplemental payments, to avoid Medicaid benefit cuts, and to expand Medicaid benefits. Some states have used revenue from provider taxes to finance the ACA Medicaid expansion. Beyond helping finance the state share of Medicaid, permissible tax arrangements may have potential financial benefits for providers who are subject to the tax and serve a high volume of Medicaid patients." [KFF, 3/26/25]
¶ An Estimated 131,900 Arizonans In The Sixth Congressional District Relied On Medicaid Or Chip For Health Insurance
131,900 Arizonans In The 6th Congressional District Were Enrolled In Medicaid Or CHIP.
[Center for American Progress, 3/11/25]
¶ Ciscomani’s Vote Cost Hospitals In Southern Arizona $110 Million In Annual Funding
HEADLINE: “Medicaid Cuts Backed By Juan Ciscomani Will Cost Southern Arizona Hospitals $110 Million Every Year” [AZ Mirror, 1/8/26]
Ten Hospitals In And Around Ciscomani’s District Were Set To Lose Approximately $110,151,000 In Annual Funding Because Of The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Ciscomani Voted For. According to the AZ Mirror, "Last year’s budget reconciliation bill, dubbed the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ by President Donald Trump, slashed Medicaid by an estimated $990 billion over the next 10 years, modified eligibility for accessing health care and implemented a slew of other changes that are set to push millions across the country off Medicaid and cost hospitals across the nation billions in revenue. An analysis by the Mirror of data gathered by the neoliberal think tank Third Way shows that 10 hospitals in and around Ciscomani’s district are set to lose approximately $110,151,000 in Medicaid revenue annually. The hospitals directly located in Ciscomani’s Congressional District 6 — one of the most competitive in the country — are set to lose $54,880,085 annually from the cuts." [AZ Mirror, 1/8/26]
- Ciscomani Voted To Cut $4 Million In Annual Funding From Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital Just 22 Days After Awarding The Hospital With A Congressional Certificate For Their Service. According to the AZ Mirror, "‘I had the honor of awarding (Carondelet) St. Mary’s Hospital a congressional certificate as they celebrate 145 years of service,’ Ciscomani wrote on X. ‘Their dedication has helped shape a healthier, stronger Tucson community for generations. Congratulations!’ Twenty-two days later, Ciscomani voted for the budget bill that will cut nearly $4 million from Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital each year. The hospital is just outside of Ciscomani’s district." [AZ Mirror, 1/8/26]
- Ciscomani Praised Banner University Medical Center’s Trauma Center During A Visit After He Voted For A Budget Bill That Would Cut $51 Million From The Hospital’s Annual Revenue. According to the AZ Mirror, "After he had already voted for the first budget package, Ciscomani visited Banner University Medical Center Tucson, which Ciscomani praised for being the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Southern Arizona. (In fact, Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tucson is also a Level 1 Trauma Center, and has been since 2022.) Banner UMC Tucson, which is outside of CD6, is expected to lose $51 million in annual revenue." [AZ Mirror, 1/8/26]