'Betrayed': GOP rep torched after hospital in his district shuts down due to Medicaid cuts

A rural clinic in Nebraska is shutting its doors after more than 30 years due to mounting financial pressures and looming federal funding cuts tied to Medicaid, ABC affiliate KLKN reported Wednesday.

According to the report, Troy Bruntz, president and CEO of the hospital, noted that while the clinic “has been a vital part of our mission to deliver quality healthcare close to home... 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, many of which have faced significant financial challenges for years."

Statewide advocacy groups have sharply criticized the potential Medicaid reductions tied to President Donald Trump's “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which passed the House Thursday afternoon and is on its way to the president's desk for his signature.

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Healthcare advocates fear that rural hospitals like this one could be forced to scale back services or even close when the new legislation’s Medicaid cuts take effect.

The news report from Nebraska led to a strong reaction on social media.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote on the social platform X Thursday: "While Republicans celebrate the passage of the largest Medicaid cut in history, the Curtis Medical Center in Nebraska announced it will shut down as a result of these horrific cuts — the first of many hospitals to close. This is a dark day for rural America and for our country."

Just hours before the legislation was passed, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) called on his colleagues from New York to vote against the bill while sharing the report about the hospital in Nebraska.

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In a post on X, he wrote: "Yesterday, a community hospital in southwest Nebraska announced it will close a clinic, citing the looming Medicaid cuts in this bill. Sadly, if it becomes law, that closure will be just the beginning."

He continued: "As Dean of the New York Congressional Delegation, I am once again urging my Republican colleagues from New York to reject this bill before it devastates our state’s health care system and rips coverage away from 1.5 million New Yorkers."

Democratic strategist Mari Manoogian wrote: "The devastation to rural healthcare from this horrible bill is something that people really aren’t prepared for, I fear."

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who voted to advance Trump’s bill, is facing particular criticism over the closure of the Nebraska hospital.

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The Lincoln Project's X account reacted to the news and said: "The first in a long list of rural hospitals closing due to Trump's bill. This hospital is in @RepDonBacon's district. He voted for Trump's bill this week, and he voted for this."

Author Tom Dodke said: "@DonJBacon betrayed the people of his district."

"Thanks Don Bacon and the rest of the Trump sycophant. The damage you’re going to cause is just starting," wrote a user.

"This is what Don Bacon, Deb Fischer, and Pete Ricketts voted for, and if you voted for them I'm afraid it was what you were voting for," said another user.