Republicans praise doctors on the front lines — after voting against funding for them

On Tuesday, House Republicans praised doctors in honoring National Doctors’ Day — after voting against funding for rural hospitals and other health care initiatives in President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID relief package earlier this month.

“In this unprecedented year, I’m incredibly grateful for the doctors bravely battling COVID-19 on the frontlines,” tweeted Rep. Byron Donalds of New York. “On this, #NationalDoctorsDay, I’d like to thank the doctors working tirelessly every day to save lives and to provide the very best care.”

“Today we celebrate doctors all around the world who work tirelessly to keep us safe from the #COVID pandemic. We thank you today and everyday,” tweeted Ohio Rep. Mike Turner.

“Today, we recognize our nation’s physicians who continue to save lives every day. Thank you to all of our doctors for the work and sacrifices you make to serve and protect the American people,” tweeted another Ohio congressman, Rep. Bob Latta.

Other House Republicans who tweeted in support of doctors and in gratitude for the sacrifices of medical professionals during the pandemic included Reps. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, Carlos Gimenez of Florida, Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania, Jay Obernolte of California, Brad Wenstrup of Ohio, Brian Babin and Michael Burgess of Texas, and John Joyce of Pennsylvania. Burgess and Joyce are themselves physicians, while Babin is a dentist. 

Each of the Republican congressmen who tweeted praise for doctors joined all their Republican colleagues in both houses of Congress on March 10 in voting against the American Rescue Plan, the health care provisions of which include significant funding for struggling rural hospitals.

Anne Shoup, communications director for the organization Protect Our Care, told the American Independent Foundation that the COVID relief package, which also expands health insurance access and coverage and allocates funding for vaccination efforts, is “the most significant expansion of health care in over a decade.”

It expands federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans purchased on the federal marketplace and offers incentives to states to expand Medicaid, both of which result in increased funding to hospitals through broader insurance coverage of patients.

The legislation also provides $8.5 billion in direct relief to rural hospitals and health care providers and financial support for skilled nursing facilities affected by the pandemic. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services to make changes to its hospital wage index calculations in “all-urban” states, a designation applied by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to New Jersey, Delaware, and Rhode Island based on their geographical size and population density.

The American Rescue Plan extends support for mental health care services and allocated funds to behavioral health resources, including $420 million to community behavioral health clinics and $80 million to the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program. It also directs $14.5 billion in funding for health care provided to military veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Several of the Republicans praising doctors on National Doctors’ Day have also made anti-mask remarks or promoted other COVID-19 disinformation.

Donalds, who contracted COVID-19 himself in October, has said most masks don’t work and that people only wear them “because of the symbolism.”

A video shot during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump shows Mullin among a group of six House members gathered in close quarters who refused to wear a mask when offered one by a colleague. “I’m not trying to get political here,” Mullin said.

Four Democratic House members later contracted COVID-19 after sheltering in place with maskless Republicans.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.