U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) attended a White House ceremony for the signing of a fiscal year 2026 appropriations package that provides various benefits for Mississippi, including support to keep Franklin County Hospital open.
Hyde-Smith is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which helped develop the five-bill package (HR.7148) funding most federal programs and projects through September 30. President Trump signed the measure on Tuesday, marking completion of 11 out of 12 annual funding bills by Congress.
She worked to include language in the FY2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill to reinstate Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status for Franklin County Hospital after it was rescinded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on January 15.
“There is still so much work to do to improve rural healthcare in Mississippi, but I’m very happy that we’ve acted to help the Franklin County Hospital and give it a stronger chance to be on a stronger financial footing. Without this, the hospital could have closed. CMS dropping the critical access status wasn’t warranted and we’ve come up with a sensible solution to ensure continued access to quality rural healthcare there and for other hospitals in that situation,” said Hyde-Smith.
The loss of CAH designation would have made Franklin County Hospital ineligible for federal resources aimed at supporting rural hospitals’ financial stability and ensuring access to essential medical services.
In October, Hyde-Smith introduced bipartisan legislation (S.3047) designed to protect Franklin County Hospital and others facing similar challenges. Earlier this year, she joined U.S. Representative Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and others in urging congressional leaders to include CAH provisions in appropriations legislation.
Hyde-Smith’s role on six Senate subcommittees allowed her to support projects beneficial both locally and nationally. She acknowledged key congressional leaders: “I give Majority Leader John Thune and Appropriations Chair Susan Collins great credit for allowing Senators to take up and pass these funding bills. It’s a stark improvement from how the former Democratic leadership refused to bring appropriations bills to the floor.”
According to her official website, Hyde-Smith represents Mississippi as its first female senator while focusing on priorities such as agriculture, health care, education, veterans’ issues, public safety, infrastructure, jobs and economic development across her offices in Washington D.C., Ridgeland, Gulfport and Oxford.
Hyde-Smith has held committee assignments including Appropriations; Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry; Energy & Natural Resources; Rules & Administration according to her official website. Her office provides constituent services related to federal agencies along with resources for students, veterans and businesses statewide.
On January 23 President Trump signed HR.6938—another three-bill package affecting government operations—furthering legislative activity involving Hyde-Smith’s areas of focus.
