North Carolina Congressman Brad Knott says Congress will take action if changes to Medicaid threaten rural hospitals. He addressed the issue — as well as legislation he's pushing for on guns and immigration — during a telephone town hall this week.
Instead of holding an in-person town hall, Knott took questions from his constituents over the phone for about 45 minutes. He said it's his third such event since taking office in January. Attendees had to sign up in advance and wait for an automated call. Several of them voiced concerns about the impact of President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill on rural healthcare.
One caller says he's worried his small hospital in Harnett County might close because of Medicaid funding cuts.
"As our representative, how do you support these cuts?" an Angier resident asked. "How do you reconcile them with the need to ensure continued access to health care for rural communities like the one I live in?"
Knott responded that the Medicaid provisions won't take effect for two years, giving lawmakers time to address any problems.
"We allocated tens of billions of dollars if there are emergencies in rural healthcare spheres and spaces," he said, "and if there are changes that need to be made, we stand ready to do it, whether it's in Congress or the state legislature of North Carolina."
But Gov. Josh Stein has said the bill will put five North Carolina hospitals at risk of closure. That's because some people would likely lose access to Medicaid coverage under the legislation, which would mean the hospitals would have more uninsured patients who can't pay their bills.
Knott pushes for concealed-carry bill
Knott also spoke about his push for Congress to allow concealed-carry gun permits across state lines. Knott is co-sponsoring the bill with another Republican congressman from North Carolina, Richard Hudson.
While the bill hasn't yet gotten a floor vote in either the House or Senate, it's advanced through House committees and Knott says it's "gotten further" than in previous sessions. He's optimistic the bill will pass this session. If the bill becomes law, North Carolina residents who have a permit to carry a concealed handgun here could use it while traveling to states that don't allow concealed carry.
"If someone drives from Arizona into California and gets pulled over, they shouldn't be criminally liable for a constitutional right that's being exercised," Knott said at the telephone town hall. "Especially with the climate that we're in, I would make a very good argument that that each American should very seriously consider exercising their Second Amendment rights to protect themselves and their family."
North Carolina's legislature is trying to allow concealed carry without permits, but that bill has been vetoed by Stein over safety concerns. So far, GOP lawmakers haven't succeeded in overriding the veto.
Knott's immigration bill passes House
The congressman also spoke about immigration legislation he co-sponsored that passed the U.S. House this month, mostly along party lines.
The bill calls for tougher criminal penalties for people who return to the U.S. illegally after being deported, as well as stricter penalties for people who commit felonies while in the country illegally.
"It closes a niche loophole that I saw as a federal prosecutor," he said. "I have been working with the administration and with our partners in the Senate, hoping that the bill will be able to get its time in the Senate."
Most Democrats in the House voted against the bill, which the ACLU argued "would impose extreme prison sentences, including steep mandatory minimums, on asylum seekers, teenagers and people trying to reunite with their families."
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