The Republican senator introduced a bill Tuesday that would block restrictions on key strategies that states rely on to finance Medicaid and double a rural hospital fund.

Saying he still opposes Medicaid cuts, Missouri’s senior U.S. senator defends supporting spending bill because there were too many benefits to oppose passage.

Missouri U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley has filed a bill to stop future reductions of Medicaid. The legislation comes just two weeks after he voted in favor of U.S. President Donald Trump's spending bill, which is expected to cut billions from Medicaid.