Barrasso, Lummis Fight to Protect Rural Nursing Homes from Federal Overreach

U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, (both R-WY), joined Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) and their colleagues in introducing a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval to overturn the Biden administration’s final rule affecting rural nursing homes and long-term care facilities. According to the CRA resolution of disapproval, the final rule imposes burdensome federal staffing mandates on long-term care facilities. The most harmful is requiring facilities to have a registered nurse present 24/7, which is a drastic increase compared to the current requirement of eight hours a day.

This rule, submitted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), comes at a time when the healthcare industry is already facing significant staffing shortages. Experts estimate that only one in five nursing homes meets the new staffing requirement. Due to these shortages, nursing homes across rural America will struggle to remain open, and many will be forced to close their doors, leaving entire communities without access to these essential senior services.

Senator Barrasso said burdensome mandates from Washington only undermine access to care for patients in rural areas. Republicans will not let the Biden administration close down facilities that offer critical care to our seniors in communities across Wyoming. Senator Lummis added that these arbitrary mandates will only worsen staffing shortages and force nursing home closures throughout rural states like Wyoming and  the mandates demonstrate just how out of touch the Biden administration is with the needs of rural America.