Healthcare groups blast passing of Trump's tax bill, warn it will harm millions
The bill, when enacted, will overhaul the government's Medicaid healthcare program that covers around 71 million low-income Americans, introducing changes including mandatory work requirements that are expected to leave nearly 12 million people uninsured, according to the
Congressional Budget Office
.
Republicans have said the legislation will lower taxes for Americans across the income spectrum and spur economic growth. According to the CBO, the bill would lower tax revenue by $4.5 trillion over 10 years and cut spending by $1.1 trillion. Much of those spending cuts come from Medicaid.
Bobby Mukkamala, president of the American Medical Association, an influential U.S. doctors' group, warned that the Medicaid cuts would limit access to care by leaving millions without health insurance and make it harder for them to see doctors.
"It will make it more likely that acute, treatable illnesses will turn into life-threatening or costly chronic conditions. That is disappointing, maddening, and unacceptable," he said.
The Alliance of Community Health Plans, which represents local, nonprofit health plans, also rebuked the bill's passage, saying it would drive up consumer costs while slashing federal health spending to historic levels.
The group pledged to work with policymakers to minimize disruption for communities.
Greg Kelley, president of the Service Employees International Union's healthcare branch, representing Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Kansas, called the bill a "moral failure" that threatened healthcare access, jobs, and the stability of the healthcare system.
Craig Garthwaite, director of the healthcare program at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, said their research showed such cuts would hurt patient health. He said expanding Medicaid had saved lives and cutting it back was likely to have the opposite impact.
Ge Bai, a Johns Hopkins health policy professor and adviser to the conservative Paragon Health Institute, said she expected the private market would step in as able-bodied adults lose Medicaid and subsidies.
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First Post
15 minutes ago
- First Post
Decoding the ‘Big Beautiful Bill' that Donald Trump signed into law
During an outdoor event on the Fourth of July, US President Donald Trump signed the tax and spending cut bill into law at the White House on Friday. The nearly 900-page bill includes a mix of tax cuts, spending reductions, and key Republican priorities such as increased funding for national defence and immigration enforcement. Hundreds of Trump supporters attended the event, including White House staff, members of Congress, and military families read more Trump held the ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on Independence Day. Reuters US President Donald Trump signed the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' into law at the White House on Friday. This happened during an outdoor event on the Fourth of July. Military jets flew overhead as hundreds of supporters gathered to witness the signing. Trump signed the bill just one day after the Republican-led House of Representatives narrowly passed what has become the key legislation of his second term. Democrats stood united in opposition to the bill but were unable to stop it, while Republicans held together. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Senate passed the bill on Tuesday, with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote. The House had earlier passed a version of the bill in May, winning by just one vote. The final version was passed on Thursday with a 218-214 margin. ALSO READ | He spoke for 8 hrs and 44 mins on Trump's 'one big, beautiful bill'. Who is Hakeem Jeffries? The bill, nearly 900 pages long, includes a collection of tax cuts, spending reductions, and other priorities for Republicans. These include new funding for national defence and immigration enforcement. Trump gave a 22-minute speech before signing the bill. Though brief, he appeared energised, especially as the bill's approval meant another recent success for his administration. This came after the campaign in Iran and several US Supreme Court decisions that he has fought for. Trump signed the bill into law during an outdoor event on the Fourth of July. Reuters Trump held the ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on Independence Day, featuring a flyover by stealth bombers and fighter jets, some of which were involved in the recent strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. Hundreds of Trump supporters attended the event, including White House staff, members of Congress, and military families. Here's a look at what the bill includes and when some of its changes will start to apply: Reductions for businesses and new tax breaks Republicans say the bill is crucial because there would be a massive tax increase after December when tax breaks from Trump's first term expire. The legislation contains about $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. The existing tax rates and brackets would become permanent under the bill, solidifying the tax cuts approved in Trump's first term. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It would temporarily add new tax deductions on tip, overtime and auto loans. There's also a $6,000 deduction for older adults who earn no more than $75,000 a year, a nod to his pledge to end taxes on Social Security benefits. It would boost the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200. Millions of families at lower income levels would not get the full credit. A cap on state and local deductions, called SALT, would quadruple to $40,000 for five years. It's a provision important to New York and other high-tax states, though the House wanted it to last for 10 years. There are scores of business-related tax cuts, including allowing businesses to immediately write off 100% of the cost of equipment and research. Proponents say this will boost economic growth. The wealthiest households would see a $12,000 increase from the legislation, and the bill would cost the poorest people $1,600 a year, mainly due to reductions in Medicaid and food aid, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House's version. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Funding the border wall, deportations and a missile shield The bill would provide some $350 billion for Trump's border and national security agenda, including for the U.S.-Mexico border wall and for 100,000 migrant detention facility beds, as he aims to fulfil his promise of the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history. Money would go for hiring 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, with $10,000 signing bonuses and a surge of Border Patrol officers, as well. The goal is to deport some 1 million people per year. To help pay for it, immigrants would face various new fees, including when seeking asylum protections. For the Pentagon, the bill would provide billions for shipbuilding, munitions systems, and quality of life measures for servicemen and women, as well as $25 billion for the development of the Golden Dome missile defence system. The Defence Department would have $1 billion for border security. Huge cuts to Medicaid, Snap To help partly offset the lost tax revenue and new spending, Republicans aim to cut back on Medicaid and food assistance for people below the poverty line. Republicans argue they are trying to rightsize the safety net programmes for the population they were initially designed to serve, mainly pregnant women, the disabled and children, and root out what they describe as waste, fraud and abuse. The package includes new 80-hour-a-month work requirements for many adults receiving Medicaid and food stamps, including older people up to age 65. Parents of children 14 and older would have to meet the programme's work requirements. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD There's also a proposed new $35 co-payment that can be charged to patients using Medicaid services. More than 71 million people rely on Medicaid, which expanded under Obama's Affordable Care Act, and 40 million use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme. Most already work, according to analysts. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law, and 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps, also known as Snap benefits. Republicans are looking to have states pick up some of the cost for Snap benefits. Currently, the federal government funds all benefit costs. Under the bill, states beginning in 2028 will be required to contribute a set percentage of those costs if their payment error rate exceeds 6%. Payment errors include both underpayments and overpayments. But the Senate bill temporarily delays the start date of that cost-sharing for states with the highest Snap error rates. Alaska has the highest error rate in the nation at nearly 25%, according to Department of Agriculture data. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, had fought for the exception. She was a decisive vote in getting the bill through the Senate. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD ALSO READ | Who gains and who loses most from Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill'? 'Big Beautiful' Bill cuts clean energy tax credits Republicans are proposing to dramatically roll back tax breaks designed to boost clean energy projects fuelled by renewable sources such as energy and wind. The tax breaks were a central component of former US President Joe Biden's 2022 landmark bill focused on addressing climate change and lowering health care costs. Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden went so far as to call the GOP provisions a 'death sentence for America's wind and solar industries and an inevitable hike in utility bills.' A tax break for people who buy new or used electric vehicles would expire on Sept. 30 of this year, instead of at the end of 2032 under current law. Meanwhile, a tax credit for the production of critical materials will be expanded to include metallurgical coal used in steelmaking. Hundreds of Trump supporters attended the event, including White House staff, members of Congress, and military families. Reuters Creation of 'Trump Accounts', funding national hero garden A number of extra provisions reflect other GOP priorities. The bill creates a new children's savings programme, called Trump Accounts, with a potential $1,000 deposit from the Treasury. The Senate provided $40 million to establish Trump's long-sought 'National Garden of American Heroes.' There's a new excise tax on university endowments and a new tax on remittances, or transfers of money that people in the US send abroad. The tax is equal to 1% of the transfer. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A $200 tax on gun silencers and short-barrelled rifles, and shotguns was eliminated. One provision bars for one year Medicaid payments to family planning providers that provide abortions, namely Planned Parenthood. Another section expands the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, a hard-fought provision from GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, for those impacted by nuclear development and testing. Billions would go for the Artemis moon mission and for the exploration of Mars, while $88 million is earmarked for a pandemic response accountability committee. Additionally, a provision would increase the nation's debt limit by $5 trillion to allow continued borrowing to pay already accrued bills. State AI regulations cut from bill The Senate overwhelmingly revolted against a proposal meant to deter states from regulating artificial intelligence. Republican governors across the country asked for the moratorium to be removed, and the Senate voted to do so with a resounding 99-1 vote. A provision was thrown in at the final hours that will provide $10 billion annually to rural hospitals for five years, or $50 billion in total. The Senate bill had originally provided $25 billion for the programme, but that number was upped to win over holdout GOP senators and a coalition of House Republicans warning that reduced Medicaid provider taxes would hurt rural hospitals. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The amended bill also stripped out a new tax on wind and solar projects that use a certain percentage of components from China. Final price tag: Bill could add $3.3 trillion to deficit Altogether, the Congressional Budget Office projects that the bill would increase federal deficits over the next 10 years by nearly $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034. Or not, depending on how one does the maths. Senate Republicans are proposing a unique strategy of not counting the existing tax breaks as a new cost because those breaks are already 'current policy.' Republican senators say the Senate Budget Committee chairman has the authority to set the baseline for the preferred approach. Under the alternative Senate GOP view, the bill would reduce deficits by almost half a trillion dollars over the coming decade, the CBO said. Democrats say this is 'magic math' that obscures the true costs of the tax breaks. Some nonpartisan groups worried about the country's fiscal trajectory are siding with Democrats in that regard. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says Senate Republicans were employing an 'accounting gimmick that would make Enron executives blush.' With inputs from AP
United News of India
18 minutes ago
- United News of India
Trump signs 'One Big Beautiful Bill' into law
New York, July 5 (UNI) US President Donald Trump signed his landmark policy bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill, into law. The signing ceremony took place at the White House yesterday afternoon. This came a day after the bill was narrowly passed by the House of Representatives on Thursday. Trump set a deadline for the bill to pass before July 4 to make the signing event a part of the Independence Day ceremony that included a B-2 bomber flyover. The law represents Trump's agenda policies including tax cuts and funding boosts for military expenditure and border security. Speaking before the signing ceremony, Trump praised Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson for their work in holding the conference together to get the bill passed. "Those two are a team that is not going to be beat," he said. Representatives of both parties in the House were deeply divided on the bill, which features sweeping cuts to spending on healthcare and food programs for the poor, and increased expenditure on military and border security, while cutting taxes on a broad line of incomes. It has been predicted that the bill will add 3.3 trillion U.S. dollars to the country's already high debt burden. The bill passed the House voting with a narrow margin of 218 to 214, with every Democrat and two Republicans, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, voting against it. Following the passage of the bill in the House, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the legislation "an encapsulation of all of the policies that the president campaigned on and the American people voted on," and said it was a "victorious day for the American people." The White House has touted the bill's passage as the biggest legislative win of the president, saying in a release Thursday afternoon that "Again and again, President Trump and Republicans fought and won for the American people." UNI XINHUA AKT RKM
NDTV
23 minutes ago
- NDTV
Trump Signs 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Into Law. What's Inside
US President Donald Trump signed into law his ' One Big Beautiful Bill ' at the White House on Friday, "keeping" his campaign promises of extending tax cuts from his first term, boosting military spending and providing massive new funding for his massive migrant deportation drive. "America is winning, winning, winning like never before," he said at the event, which was held on the Fourth of July holiday marking America's 249th birthday. "I've never seen people so happy in our country because of that, because so many different groups of people are being taken care of: the military, civilians of all types, jobs of all types," he said. "Promises made, promises kept, and we've kept them," Mr Trump, who returned to power in January, added. SIGNED. SEALED. DELIVERED. 🧾🇺🇸 President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill is now LAW — and the Golden Age has never felt better. — The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 4, 2025 He also thanked House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune for leading the nearly 900-page bill through the two houses of Congress What's Inside Trump's 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' Reductions for businesses, new tax breaks Republicans said the ' One Big, Beautiful Bill ' is crucial because there would be a massive tax increase after December when tax breaks from Donald Trump's first term expire. The legislation contains about $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. The existing tax rates and brackets would become permanent under the bill, solidifying the tax cuts approved in Trump's first term. It would also temporarily add new tax deductions on tip, overtime and auto loans. There's also a deduction of $6,000 for older adults who earn no more than $75,000 a year. It would also increase the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200. Millions of families at lower income levels would not get the full credit. A cap on state and local deductions, called SALT, would quadruple to $40,000 for five years. It will also allow businesses to immediately write off 100% of the cost of equipment and research. The wealthiest households would reportedly see a $12,000 increase from the legislation, and the bill would cost the poorest people $1,600 a year, mainly due to reductions in Medicaid and food aid. Border wall, deportation funds The bill would provide some $350 billion for Donald Trump's border and national security agenda, including the US-Mexico border wall and 1,00,000 migrant detention facility beds. The 79-year-old Republican has repeatedly vowed to deport 'illegal aliens'. The bill has also granted funds for hiring 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, with $10,000 signing bonuses and a surge of Border Patrol officers. Mr Trump's goal is to deport some 1 million people every year. To help pay for it, immigrants would face various new fees, including when seeking asylum protections. For the Pentagon, the bill would provide billions for shipbuilding, munitions systems, and quality of life measures for servicemen and women. The Defence Department would get $1 billion for border security. Funds for Golden Dome missile system The bill will also provide $25 billion for the development of Donald Trump's " Golden Dome" missile defence system. Mr Trump had said in May that it would eventually cost around $175 billion and would be operational by the end of his term in 2029. The US President has vowed to construct the 'Golden Dome' system, similar to Israel's famed Iron Dome. Medicaid sees deep cuts To help partly offset the lost tax revenue and new spending, Republicans aim to cut back on Medicaid and food assistance for people below the poverty line. They have said they are trying to rightsize the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve, mainly pregnant women, the disabled and children, and root out what they describe as waste, fraud and abuse. The bill includes new 80-hour-a-month work requirements for many adults receiving Medicaid and food stamps, including older people up to age 65. Parents of children 14 and older would have to meet the program's work requirements. There's also a proposed new $35 co-payment that can be charged to patients using Medicaid services. More than 71 million people rely on Medicaid, while 40 million use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Clean energy tax credits slashed Tax breaks designed to boost clean energy projects fueled by renewable sources like energy and wind will also be rolled back. The tax breaks were a central component of former US President Joe Biden's 2022 bill focused on addressing climate change and lowering health care costs. A tax break for people who buy new or used electric vehicles would expire on September 30 of this year, instead of at the end of 2032 under current law. 'Trump Accounts' The bill creates a new children's savings program, called 'Trump Accounts', with a potential $1,000 deposit from the Treasury. There's a new excise tax on university endowments and a new tax on remittances or transfers of money that people in the US send abroad. The tax is equal to 1% of the transfer. A $200 tax on gun silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns was eliminated. One provision bars for one year of Medicaid payments to family planning providers that provide abortions, namely Planned Parenthood. Billions have been granted for the Artemis moon mission and for the exploration of Mars. $88 million has been assigned to a pandemic response accountability committee. It also has a provision to increase the nation's debt limit by $5 trillion to allow continued borrowing to pay already accrued bills. The bill also stripped out a new tax on wind and solar projects that use a certain percentage of components from China. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill would increase federal deficits over the next 10 years by nearly $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034.
