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House speaker frames 2026 agenda around health care, housing and energy amid federal uncertainty
Summary
In opening remarks, the House speaker emphasized the legislature will prioritize health care access and affordability, housing production, and energy affordability in 2026, citing federal funding uncertainty and specific budget allocations made in 2025 to boost Medicaid rates and hospital reimbursements.
The presiding officer used the Jan. 6 House opening to outline policy priorities for 2026, telling members the General Assembly must mitigate the impacts of "massive changes at the federal level" and protect programs funded in part by federal dollars.
"Approximately one third of our annual state budget is derived from federal funding," the speaker said, arguing that federal uncertainty requires careful state planning.
The speaker reviewed steps taken in the 2025 budget year, saying the legislature allocated about $40,000,000 to Medicaid rate increases for primary care providers, added $38,000,000 over the governor's proposal for hospital reimbursement rates and direct support payments, and added $12,000,000 above the governor's proposal to increase nursing-home staffing reimbursements tied to the state's safe-staffing law.
On housing, the speaker highlighted more than 60 housing laws enacted over the last five years aimed at streamlining development and increasing supply, and cited a 70% increase in building permits from 2022 to 2023, with permit activity rising again in 2024.
The speaker also warned of federal rollbacks affecting emissions and clean-energy initiatives, and said delays to major projects such as the Revolution Wind project have complicated efforts to lower household energy costs.
Representative Carol McEntee, newly appointed chair of the House Judiciary Committee, thanked colleagues for her appointment and pledged to lead the committee on issues protecting Rhode Islanders' rights; she also thanked outgoing chair Bob Craven for his service.
The speaker closed by urging collaboration across the aisle and reaffirmed that health care, housing and energy will be "on top of our agenda" in 2026.
