The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a new rule to codify limits on Medicaid provider taxes, aimed at preventing states from guaranteeing providers will be refunded for their taxes.[5143802] The Trump administration's decision to defer $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota over concerns about suspected fraud and noncompliance has sparked criticism from critics who call it an "attack first, ask questions later" strategy.[5020282][5013115] Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the new actions are part of the administration's strategy to stop fraud before it happens rather than claw back problematic spending after bad actors are prosecuted.[5020282]