¶ Beltran Supported Policies That Would Cut Healthcare For Millions Of Americans
¶ Beltran Claimed Healthcare Wasn’t A Core Function Of Government
Beltran Claimed Healthcare Wasn’t A “Core Function Of Government.” According to Florida Politics, “Like Fried, Rep. Mike Beltran, the lone member to vote against the bills, also thinks Live Healthy is unaffordable for Florida. ‘It’s a massive fiscal. It’s an absolutely massive fiscal. And to do what? It’s basically to subsidize health care, which is like, it’s not a core function of government. I know the government spends a lot of money on health care, but it’s not like roads, police, fire, military, borders, the justice system, courts, jails, prisons. It’s not a core function of government.’” [Florida Politics, 3/23/24]
¶ Beltran Promised To Make Trump’s Healthcare Cuts In The One Big, Beautiful Bill Permanent
Beltran’s Website Promised To Make The Working Families Tax Cuts Permanent. According to Center Square, “Beltran called for cutting taxes, balancing the federal budget and supporting deportation efforts. ‘Mike strongly supports President Trump's Working Families Tax Cut, delivering no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and real relief for seniors on Social Security,’ Beltran's website reads. ‘These cuts are putting more money into the pockets of hardworking American families that earned it, and Mike will fight to make them permanent.’ Steele has criticized Beltran for his voting history in the Florida legislature and said he will support the Trump administration's tax cut policies.” [Center Square, 8/16/26]
- The One Big, Beautiful Bill Was Also Known As The Working Families Tax Cuts. According to a press release from Rep. Ron Estes, “On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed into law historic legislation that will lower taxes for everyday Americans. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act – also known as the Working Families Tax Cuts – is now law, and Kansans will see the benefit when they file their taxes.” [Press Release – Rep. Ron Estes, Viewed 8/27/26]
¶ Trump's One Big, Beautiful Bill Was Responsible For Ripping Health Care Away From Millions Of Americans
¶ Trump Worked With Congress To Pass The Final Version Of Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill That Was Estimated To Result In At Least 17 Million Americans Losing Their Health Insurance
2025: Trump Worked With Congress To Pass The “One Big Beautiful Bill.” According to Fox News, "House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., touted the close coordination between Congress and President Donald Trump to successfully pass the ‘one big, beautiful bill,’ saying the collaboration is part of the ‘beauty of unified government.’ Congress officially passed Trump’s multitrillion-dollar bill Thursday afternoon after back-to-back sleepless sessions for both the House and Senate. The massive agenda package now goes to Trump’s desk to be signed into law just in time for Republicans’ self-imposed Fourth of July deadline." [Fox News, 7/3/25]
- Trump And Speaker Johnson Lobbied The Republican Holdouts To Make Way For Passage Of The Bill. According to NBC News, "A bloc of Republican holdouts had initially opposed a procedural vote Wednesday to advance the bill, leading to an hourslong overnight standoff. But Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., managed to sway all but one of them, teeing up final passage in the House." [NBC News, 7/3/25]
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]
¶ May 2025: Trump Spearheaded The Effort To Pass Republicans’ Budget Bill, Which Would Kick Millions Of People Off Medicaid
May 2025: Johnson Reached Agreements With Conservative And Moderate Republicans With Help From Donald Trump Before Passing The Sweeping Budget Bill. According to the Guardian, "The biggest obstacle the bill faces is disputes among Republicans themselves. In the days leading up to the vote, Johnson had to reach agreements with lawmakers representing Democratic-led states who demanded a bigger deduction for state and local taxes (Salt). He also had to woo moderates wary of cutting too deeply into safety net programs and rightwing lawmakers demanding more cost savings. The speaker appears to have bridged those divides, aided by a visit to the Capitol from Trump on Tuesday. Moderates backed down after some cuts were nixed, while lawmakers who held out over Salt won an enlarged tax break. Johnson also managed to corral most fiscal conservatives, but acknowledged: ‘There was a few moments over the last week when it looked like the thing might fall apart.’" [Guardian, 5/22/25]
- May 2025: The Passage Of The Budget Bill Was A “Triumphant Moment For Johnson,” Who Got The Bill Passed With A Singular Vote Margin. According to ABC News, "A smiling Speaker Mike Johnson announced the massive measure passed by a single vote -- 215-214 -- and was greeted with applause. He had struggled to get it done -- as he had promised -- by Memorial Day, before lawmakers go on recess. The sweeping package of tax cuts, Medicaid reform and immigration spending delivers on many of the president's domestic campaign promises. Following debate that stretched Wednesday through the entire night and into early Thursday morning, the vote was a triumphant moment for Johnson, who conquered sharp divisions among his conference ‘through a lot of prayer’ amid a historically low 3-vote majority." [ABC News, 5/22/25]
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]
¶ February 2025 Trump Worked With Congress To Push Forward A Budget Bill That Spelled Out Future Medicaid Cuts
Johnson “Fought On All Fronts” To Advance The Budget Bill That Passed “With A Push From President Donald Trump.” According to the Associated Press, "With a push from President Donald Trump, House Republicans sent a GOP budget blueprint to passage Tuesday, a step toward delivering his ‘big, beautiful bill’ with $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts despite a wall of opposition from Democrats and discomfort among Republicans. House Speaker Mike Johnson had almost no votes to spare in his bare-bones GOP majority and fought on all fronts — against Democrats, uneasy rank-and-file Republicans and skeptical GOP senators — to advance the party’s signature legislative package. Trump made calls to wayward GOP lawmakers and invited Republicans to the White House. The vote was 217-215, with a single Republican and all Democrats opposed, and the outcome was in jeopardy until the gavel." [Associated Press, 2/25/25]
- HEADLINE: “What Can House Republicans Cut Instead Of Medicaid? Not Much.” [New York Times, 2/25/25]
- HEADLINE: "House Republican Budget Takes Away Health Care, Food Aid To Pay For Expanded Tax Cuts For Wealthy" [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2/21/25]
- New York Times Reported The $880 Billion In Cuts Required By The Republican Budget Proposal Would Have To Come From Medicaid, Medicare, Or CHIP. According to the New York Times, "The budget resolution itself is silent on whether Congress cuts Medicaid, which provides health coverage to 72 million poor and disabled Americans. But it instructs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the program, to cut spending by $880 billion over the next decade. If the committee can’t save at least that much, the entire effort could be imperiled because of the special process Congress is using to avoid a Senate filibuster. Ten other committees have their own instructions to follow, though none have been assigned with cutting nearly as much. It’s not so simple as finding the cuts elsewhere. The special process, known as budget reconciliation, means Republicans will have to find all $880 billion from within the Energy and Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction. That leaves them with fewer options than one might think. […] If Republicans want to avoid major cuts to Medicaid, the largest pot of available money is in the other big government health insurance program: Medicare. […] Even if the committee cuts everything that’s not health care to $0, it will still be more than $600 billion short. The committee could also save around $200 billion by eliminating the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but that option has not been raised by the budget committee or anyone in House leadership. […] Even if all of these cuts, revenues and rule cancellations from outside health care can pass muster, the committee will still be left with hundreds of billions of dollars to cut to hit its goal. Mathematically, the budget committee’s instructions mean the committee would need to make major cuts to either Medicare, Medicaid or both." [New York Times, 2/25/25]
¶ May 2025: More Than $4.3 Million Children And Adults In Florida Were Enrolled In Medicaid
May 2025: 4,343,0000 Children And Adults In Florida Were Enrolled In Medicaid. According to KFF, as of May 2025, 4,343,0000 children and adults in Florida were enrolled in Medicaid.
[KFF – Florida State Medicaid Fact Sheet, 5/25]
¶ Florida Was Set To Lose Billions Of Dollars For The State Healthcare System After Medicaid Cuts
HEADLINE: "Tampa Bay Seniors Share Worries After House Passes Bill Cutting Millions For Medicaid" [WFLA, 5/22/25]
The Big, Beautiful Bill Was Projected To Cut $3.8 Billion From Florida’s Healthcare System And Would Lead To A Cap On State-Directed Payments Going To Hospitals. According to Florida Politics, “President Donald Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will cut $3.8 billion from Florida’s health care system, with that money primarily affecting Florida hospitals. Brian Meyer, Florida’s Medicaid director, gave an update at the House Health Care Facilities and Systems Subcommittee. The new law is making cuts to Medicaid, among other reforms. One of the major changes in Florida will be a cap on state-directed payments going to hospitals, with the changes setting that Medicaid cap at 110% of Medicare to more align the two rates, Meyer told lawmakers.” [Florida Politics, 10/8/25]
HEADLINE: "‘The Clients We Serve Are In Jeopardy’: Autism Therapy Providers Warn Of Crisis Amid Medicaid Changes" [Tampa Bay 28, 8/19/25]
¶ Beltran: “Yes, Absolutely, Obamacare Should Be Overturned”
¶ Mike Beltran: “Yes, Absolutely, Obamacare Should Be Overturned”
Mike Beltran: “Yes, Absolutely, Obamacare Should Be Overturned.” According to Mike Beltran at the FL-14 Republican Congressional Debate, “What are your plans to help fix our health care system in America? And do you feel that Obamacare should be overturned? Well, the second one is really easy. Yes, absolutely, Obamacare should be overturned. And I was actually sitting in a hospital the day the Obamacare decision or the Obamacare legislation was upheld by the Supreme Court back in 2012. And I was talking to the doctors and nurses that day and they thought it was a bad idea. I thought it was a bad idea. Everyone in this room thinks it's a bad idea. So that's the easy part. [FL-14 Republican Congressional Debate, 6/19/26] (video)
¶ 2024: Florida Had The Greatest Number Of Affordable Care Act Enrollees In The Nation
2024: Florida Led The Nation In The Number Of People Who Have Signed Up For Health Insurance Under The Affordable Care Act, With More Than 4.6 Million Floridians Enrolled. According to WLRN, “Florida is again leading the country in the number of people who have signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. New data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services show that more than 4.6 million Floridians signed up for the federal program in 2024.” [WLRN, 1/10/25]
¶ About 440,000 Floridians Lost Their Healthcare Through The Affordable Care Act After Republicans In Congress Allowed Enhanced Federal Subsidies For The Program To Expire
After Republicans In Congress Let Enhanced Federal Subsidies For Affordable Care Act Health Plans Expire, About 440,000 Floridians Dropped Their Plans. According to WFLA 8, “After Republicans in Congress let enhanced federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans expire in January, millions of Americans including Button had to decide whether to keep insurance that often doubled or tripled in cost — or risk going without it. […] Figures first reported by The Associated Press showed that about 440,000 Floridians dropped their Affordable Care Act plans this year — more than in any other state. Thousands more who kept coverage are struggling to get by, as prices of necessities like groceries and gasoline remain steep, and health insurers project another year of double-digit premium hikes.” [WFLA 8, 8/26/26]
¶ Beltran Was The Only Legislator To Oppose Florida’s “Live Healthy” Initiative
¶ Beltran Claimed Healthcare Wasn’t A “Core Function Of Government”
In Defense Of His Vote Against The “Live Healthy” Initiative, Beltran Said Healthcare Wasn’t A “Core Function Of Government.” According to Florida Politics, “Like Fried, Rep. Mike Beltran, the lone member to vote against the bills, also thinks Live Healthy is unaffordable for Florida. ‘It’s a massive fiscal. It’s an absolutely massive fiscal. And to do what? It’s basically to subsidize health care, which is like, it’s not a core function of government. I know the government spends a lot of money on health care, but it’s not like roads, police, fire, military, borders, the justice system, courts, jails, prisons. It’s not a core function of government.’” [Florida Politics, 3/23/24]
¶ Beltran Was The Only Vote Against Florida’s “Live Healthy” Policy Proposal, Which Included SB 7016 And SB 7018
Beltran Was The Only Vote Against Florida’s “Live Healthy” Policy Proposal, Which Included SB 7016 And SB 7018. According to WUSF, “The Florida House on Thursday gave final approval to a wide-ranging health care plan that supporters say will help prepare for future population growth and fuel innovation. With little discussion, the House voted 117-1 to pass two bills (SB 7016 and SB 7018) that have been priorities of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples. The Senate last month unanimously passed the bills, which are ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis. Rep. Mike Beltran, R-Riverview, cast the only dissenting votes on the bills, dubbed the ‘Live Healthy’ plan.” [WUSF (NPR), 2/22/24]
- 2/22/24: Beltran Against SB 7016, The “Live Healthy” Proposal. In February 2024, according to the Florida House of Representatives, Michael Beltran voted against SB 7016, a part of Florida’s “Live Healthy Proposal.” The bill passed in the House by 117 to 1 vote. The bill ultimately became law in the Senate. [Florida House of Representatives – SB 7016, 12/3/23; House Vote 641 2/22/24]
- 2/22/24: Beltran Against SB 7018, The “Live Healthy” Proposal. In February 2024, according to the Florida House of Representatives, Michael Beltran voted against SB 7016, a part of Florida’s “Live Healthy Proposal.” The bill passed in the House by 117 to 1 vote. The bill ultimately became law in the Senate. [Florida House of Representatives – SB 7018, 12/4/23; House Vote 640 2/22/24]
¶ “Live Healthy” Sought To Expand Access To Affordable Health Care And Increase Florida’s Health Care Workforce
¶ SB 7016 Sought To Expand Access To Care By Growing Florida’s Health Care Workforce And By Increasing The Availability Of Affordable Healthcare Options
SB 7016 Increased Medicaid Reimbursement Rates For Workers Who Provide Preventative Care And Serve Vulnerable Populations In Florida. According to Florida Policy Institute, “The Florida Legislature passed the ‘Live Healthy’ Act during the 2024 legislative session — a sweeping health care and workforce package that would cost over $1.2 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024-25. The measure is composed of a package of bills: SB 7016 ($717.1 million) includes provisions that seek to enhance Florida’s health care workforce, primarily by increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for workers who provide preventative care and serve vulnerable populations. This includes services such as dental care; private duty nursing; occupational, physical, and speech therapy; behavioral analysis; and maternal care in labor and delivery.” [Florida Policy Institute, 4/25/24]
SB 7016 Sought To Expand Access To Care By Growing Florida’s Health Care Workforce And By Increasing The Availability Of Free Clinics And Primary, Behavioral Health, And Crisis Intervention Services. According to the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, “On Thursday, the Florida House of Representatives passed (117-1) SB 7016, known as ‘Live Healthy ’- priority for Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples). Since the Senate passed this bill unanimously (39-0) last month, the Legislature will now send it to Governor Ron DeSantis for his signature. Most Floridians already face long wait times or must travel long distances to receive health care services, and this limited access will only deteriorate further as the state’s population grows to over 25 million people in ten years, leading to a shortfall of nearly 18,000 doctors and 59,000 nurses by 2035. As a result, Live Healthy seeks to expand access to care by growing Florida’s health care workforce and by increasing the availability of free clinics and primary, behavioral health, and crisis intervention services.” [Press Release – Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2/23/24]
¶ SB 7018 Established A Health Innovation Council That Would Administer A 10 Year Revolving Loan Program For Health Care Innovations In Florida
SB 7018 Established A Health Innovation Council That Would Administer A 10 Year Revolving Loan Program For Health Care Innovations In Florida. According to Florida Policy Institute, “The Florida Legislature passed the ‘Live Healthy’ Act during the 2024 legislative session — a sweeping health care and workforce package that would cost over $1.2 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024-25. The measure is composed of a package of bills: […] SB 7018 ($51.3 million) establishes a health innovation council that will administer a revolving loan program over the next 10 years for health care innovations in Florida.” [Florida Policy Institute, 4/25/24]
Tampa General Hospital President And CEO John Couris Said The “Live Healthy” Initiative Made Strategic Investments In Innovation And Technology, Which Would Increase Access, Bring Down Costs, And Improve Patient Outcomes. According to a press release from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, “‘Thanks to the strong leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and their commitment to build on the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that has successfully driven so many businesses and industries here to the Sunshine State, Florida can be a national model for quality and accessible health care’ said Tampa General Hospital President and CEO John Couris. ‘The Live Healthy initiative will strengthen our health care workforce, break down barriers to care, and increase access to behavioral health. Importantly, this legislation makes strategic investments in innovation and technology, which can help us transform the delivery model, increasing access, bringing down costs, and improving patient outcomes.’” [Press Release – Ron DeSantis, 3/21/24]
¶ Florida’s “Live Healthy” Proposal Was Adopted After Hospitals In The State Faced Labor Shortages
Staffers At Hospitals Run By HCA Healthcare In The Tampa Bay Area Claimed Staffing Shortages Created Unsafe Conditions For Patients. According to Florida Phoenix, “Staffers at hospitals run by HCA Healthcare in the Tampa Bay area spoke out on Tuesday against their employer, claiming that staffing shortages in their facilities have created unsafe conditions for patients. The charges are serious because HCA Healthcare is the nation’s leading health care provider in the country with 184 hospitals nationwide and 46 in Florida, the most of any state. The corporation reported revenues of more than $15 billion in just the first quarter of this year alone.” [Florida Phoenix, 5/9/23]
2021: A Report By The Florida Hospital Association And Safety Net Hospital Alliance Of Florida Projected The State Will Lack 37,400 Registered Nurses (RN) And 21,700 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) Needed By 2035. According to WUSF, “Florida doesn't have enough nurses right now, and a new report shows the state could be nearly 60,000 short by 2035. The report commissioned by the Florida Hospital Association and Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida projects by that time, the state will lack 37,400 registered nurses (RN) and 21,700 licensed practical nurses (LPN) needed to care for all of its residents.” [WUSF (NPR), 9/30/21]
HEADLINE: “Florida Hospitals’ Staff Shortages Strain A Depleted, Exhausted Workforce Amid COVID Surge” [Miami Herald, 1/5/22]