While most Americans were sleeping, Congress, under the leadership of Speaker Mike Johnson, passed HR 1 – coined the “Big Beautiful Bill” by President Trump. The bill is expected to cut over $700 billion in Medicaid, marking the most aggressive assault on healthcare safety nets in modern history. The bill passed in the wee hours of the morning as protesters gathered outside the Capitol around 1 a.m., demanding lawmakers protect the lives of the sick, poor, and disabled.
The Big, Beautiful Bill passed with 215 republican votes; all 212 democrats voted against the bill, with two republicans joining them and one republican voting present. President Trump was seen on Capitol Hill lobbying GOP holdouts earlier in the week. The bill includes $700 billion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade, requiring strict work requirements for Medicaid eligibility, and a federal ban on gender-affirming care under Medicaid for people of all ages.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, 10.3 million people will lose Medicaid coverage by 2034, some due to work requirements and others due to paperwork and eligibility checks. The CBO also warns that nearly 14 million Americans could become uninsured overall. This bill presents a real danger to the disabled and other vulnerable communities. The current cuts could affect Home and Community Based services, potentially forcing disabled people into institutions or unsafe living conditions. The cuts will also make it harder for Disabled Americans to access specific medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, devices for speech therapy, and personal care aides, limiting their independence and making survival and mobility unaffordable for many.
The vote drew criticism for its auspicious timing. Critics argue that the Republicans set the vote for such a late time so that the American public would not be aware of what was happening. Many see this as a way to circumvent accountability and deliver tax breaks for the wealthy. Representative Teresa Legar Fernandez (D-NM) called the bill a “reverse Robin Hood nightmare,” and several other Democrats joined that effort, saying the bill is “giving to the rich, while taking from the poor.”
Along with its massive cuts to healthcare, the bill is expected to add approximately $3.1 trillion to the federal deficit over the next ten years, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. If the current provisions are made permanent, the total cost could rise to 5.1 trillion, adding 600 billion next year alone.
During his remarks on the House floor, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) boasted about the bill and thanked all of the Chairpersons who made the bill happen. This bill marks a once-in-a-lifetime precedent due to its passage with such a small majority. The Speaker could not afford to lose more than three votes, and gushing about this, said, “My Friends, it quite literally is, again, morning in America.”
Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies (D-NY) responded differently, highlighting its effects on Medicaid and Medicare. He reiterated that hospitals and nursing homes will close and shut down, saying, “Communities will suffer.”
The bill moves to the United States Senate, where its future remains uncertain. Advocacy groups are urging people to call and email their senators to get them to vote NO on HR 1. You can find the info to find and contact your senators at: Find your U.S Senator
