Republican Calls For Raising Taxes On Wealthy
Is Washington Finally Remembering Small-Town America?
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has introduced a surprise amendment to the high-stakes “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” aimed at rescuing rural hospitals—by raising taxes on ultra-rich elites. Her proposal? A new 39.6% tax rate on those making over $25 million a year.
That’s right. A Republican senator is calling for a tax hike—but this time, the money wouldn’t go to bloated bureaucracies or left-wing pet projects. Instead, it would be funneled straight into the Rural Hospital Relief Fund, doubling it from $25 billion to a powerful $50 billion.
A Lifeline for Forgotten Communities
The proposal ramps up rural hospital funding significantly. Under the current GOP bill, hospitals would receive $10 billion per year for two years—then see steep drop-offs. Collins’s amendment would increase those early payments to $22.5 billion per year, delivering an immediate infusion of aid to struggling medical centers in flyover states and forgotten counties.
For millions of seniors and veterans in rural communities, this could be the difference between life and death.
A Conservative Crossroads: Big Government or Big Relief?
Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS), a physician and longtime rural health advocate, voiced support for the amendment. But it remains to be seen whether other Republicans will back a measure that increases taxes—even on the nation’s wealthiest.
Is this a necessary correction after years of neglect? Or a slippery slope into the kind of big-government solutions conservatives have fought against for decades?
The Bottom Line
For many on the Right, this amendment sparks serious reflection. Can we support targeted tax hikes if they actually benefit the forgotten men and women of America? Or is this another example of D.C. expanding its reach under the guise of relief?
Regardless of where one stands, one thing is clear: rural America is finally getting some attention—and it’s long overdue.
