McCook, NE – A rural healthcare clinic in Curtis, Nebraska, is set to close its doors, with its CEO citing steep federal “Medicaid cuts’ in President Donald Trump’s 2026 budget legislation as a key factor.
The closure, announced on July 2, 2025, has ignited fierce criticism from Democrats and healthcare advocates, who warn that the Republican-backed bill, passed by a razor-thin 218-214 House vote, will devastate low-income and rural communities. As Trump signs the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into law on July 4, the clinic’s fate shows the high stakes of the administration’s fiscal priorities and their impact on America’s heartland.
A Rural Lifeline Lost
Community Hospital in McCook, Nebraska, revealed that its Curtis Medical Center, serving a town of about 900 residents, will cease operations due to financial pressures exacerbated by anticipated Medicaid cuts.
“The current financial environment, driven by anticipated federal budget cuts to Medicaid, has made it impossible for us to continue operating all of our services,” said CEO Troy Bruntz in a statement. The clinic, located in Nebraska’s 3rd Congressional District—a region Trump won by a commanding 76.3% to Kamala Harris’s 22.5% in the 2024 election—has faced financial challenges for years, but the new cuts have pushed it to the brink.
The closure is a blow to the 350,000 Nebraskans who rely on Medicaid, many of whom live in rural areas with limited healthcare options. The Nebraska Hospital Association warned that the cuts, part of a $1 trillion reduction in Medicaid funding, could lead to widespread service losses, particularly in already struggling rural hospitals.
“We have hospitals operating in the red,” the association stated. “This is an untenable situation for rural communities.”
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed on July 3, 2025, after intense debate, represents a cornerstone of Trump’s legislative agenda. The bill, which secured Senate approval via a tie-breaking vote from Vice President JD Vance, includes:
Permanent Tax Cuts: Significant reductions for corporations and high earners, criticized for disproportionately benefiting the wealthy.
Medicaid and SNAP Reductions: Deep cuts to healthcare and food assistance programs, including work requirements for Medicaid recipients.
Immigration Enforcement Funding: Increased resources for border security and deportation operations.
The White House defended the bill, stating, “President Trump’s historic legislation strengthens and protects Medicaid by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, while investing billions to assist vulnerable providers.” Trump celebrated on Truth Social, writing, “The people of America will be Richer, Safer, and Prouder than ever before … CONGRATULATIONS AMERICA!”
However, critics argue the bill prioritizes tax breaks for the affluent while slashing safety nets for low-income, elderly, and working-class Americans, particularly in red states like Nebraska. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 12 million people could lose health insurance due to the Medicaid cuts, a figure that has fueled opposition.
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Political Fallout and Local Impact
The clinic’s closure has drawn sharp rebukes from Democrats. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who delayed the House vote with a record-breaking 8-hour, 44-minute speech, called the bill “an extraordinary assault on the healthcare of the American people.”
Democratic Representative Josh Riley (D-NY) accused Republicans of “defunding healthcare” to fund “trillions in tax cuts to cronies,” adding, “Don’t tell me you care about the middle class when you’re screwing them over.”
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee labeled the closure a “devastating” consequence of GOP policies, warning that it could be “the first of many” rural hospital shutdowns. They singled out Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who supported the bill and recently announced his retirement, claiming he is “retiring in shame.”
However, Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), who represents the 3rd District and voted for the bill, praised it as a “game changer” for American workers and farmers. “It prevents severe tax hikes, expands relief for family farms and small businesses, and ensures public assistance programs remain sustainable,” Smith said, highlighting provisions for educational choice, biofuels, and manufacturing.
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Public and Online Reactions
The closure has sparked heated debate on platforms like X, where users expressed dismay and division. “Trump’s budget is killing rural healthcare while giving billionaires tax breaks,” one user posted. Another defended the bill, writing, “Medicaid cuts target fraud, not families. This will make the system stronger.” The polarized reactions mirror broader national tensions over the bill’s impact on vulnerable communities.
Public opinion polls, including a June 2025 Quinnipiac survey showing 55% opposition to the bill, suggest growing unease about its consequences, particularly in rural areas reliant on Medicaid-funded services like the Curtis clinic.
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