Republicans slam omnibus bill's healthcare reform investments

Senate Republicans are arguing that the pending omnibus bill contains more than $1 billion in funding for healthcare reform — one more argument for their caucus to vote against the more than 2,000-page bill.

The GOP has vowed to starve the bill of the congressional appropriations it needs in the next Congress.

According to an analysis by the Republican Policy Committee, omnibus funding for programs initiated by the Democrats' reform law includes: 

• $750 million for the new Prevention and Public Health Fund, which includes community transformation grants to fund investments such as walking paths and farmers markets;

• A $175.9 million "adjustment" in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Program Management account to implement the law's Medicaid expansion and cuts to Medicare Advantage;

• An $80.7 million increase for the Health and Human Services Department's departmental management account to enforce new mandates and regulations; and

• $3 million for a national health care workforce commission.