June 05, 2024

Manchin Leads Bipartisan Fight To Protect Rural Nursing Homes From Biden Administration Overreach

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) led his bipartisan colleagues in introducing a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval to overturn a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which imposes burdensome federal staffing mandates on nursing home and long-term care facilities that could force rural providers to close their doors.

“Our nation’s nursing home and long-term care facilities are already facing severe staffing shortages, threatening access to critical care for seniors everywhere,” said Senator Manchin. “This overly-demanding and unrealistic staffing rule from the Biden Administration directly jeopardizes our seniors’ healthcare services, especially in rural areas like West Virginia. I encourage all of my colleagues to join my effort to prevent this burdensome regulation from taking effect and I will continue working every day to protect rural healthcare services in the Mountain State and across the country.”

When the rule was first proposed in September, Senator Manchin led a group of 28 bipartisan Senators in writing a letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, urging CMS to reverse the proposed requirement. Additionally, Senator Manchin led nine bipartisan Senators in introducing the Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act, which would prevent the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary from finalizing the proposed nursing home staffing rule.

Senator Manchin was joined by Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mike Braun (R-IN), Jim Risch (R-ID), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Barrasso (R-WY), John Thune (R-SD), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Mike Lee (R-UT), and John Hoeven (R-ND).

The full text of the resolution is available here.