Rural Health Transformation Program is a tremendous opportunity for rural Ohio

By U.S. Rep. Dave Taylor
R-Second District

I love rural southern Ohio. The rolling hills. The quiet valleys. The close-knit towns nestled along the winding two-lane roads. The rich green forests that turn orange in the fall. The church steeples and water towers standing above the corn and soy fields.

The land I represent is beautiful, and the people are just as great. This is where I grew up, where I got married, where I raised my daughters, and where I proudly call home.

As I work to represent our district in D.C., I constantly think about the needs and experiences of those I have met throughout my life. Oftentimes, I think of the challenges many rural Ohioans face in accessing health care and staying healthy.

Of the 15 congressional districts in Ohio, the Second District has the lowest life expectancy, the highest rate of drug overdose, and the highest rate of chronic disease.

There is no doubt that rural areas face unique health challenges that stem from many complex factors. Addressing this requires a focused, multifaceted strategy.

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the Working Families Tax Cut Act into law. Along with tax cuts for the working class, this bill created the Rural Health Transformation Program, which will provide $50 billion to improve rural health outcomes across America.

I am extremely optimistic that the Rural Health Transformation Program will have a transformative effect on rural Ohio by addressing the health care workforce shortage, helping ensure sustainable access to care, and accelerating collaborative efforts among rural providers.

To that end, I encouraged Governor Mike DeWine to support the independent rural hospitals and Community Health Centers that stand to benefit from the Rural Health Transformation Program when he rolls out the program.

Unfortunately, D.C. Democrats are insisting that the federal government stay shut down unless Republicans give in to their list of demands. One of those demands: repealing the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program.

Absolutely not.

I am committed to ensuring Rural Health Transformation Program dollars make a difference for people in incredible rural communities like ours – the very people who might wonder how long it will take an ambulance to arrive should they need one.

For too long, D.C. politicians have overlooked rural America. Rural health care providers depend on the Rural Health Transformation Program to address their unique needs, and it is disappointing to see Democrats demand its elimination and abandon the Americans they allegedly care about.

Congressman Dave Taylor is a Republican from Clermont County proudly representing Ohio’s Second Congressional District in the United States Congress.