In a deeply troubling move, President Trump's so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill" narrowly passed the Senate on July 1, 2025, with a 51-50 vote, thanks to Vice President Vance's tiebreaker. As the House gears up to vote today, the legislation-- set to balloon the federal deficit by $3.3 trillion over the next decade-- has ignited fierce opposition from progressive lawmakers, healthcare advocates, and public safety experts. Far from delivering on its promise of economic relief, this GOP megabill threatens to strip millions of Americans of healthcare access and undermine critical gun safety measures, all while prioritizing tax cuts for the wealthy.
A Devastating Blow to Healthcare Access
At the heart of the bill lies a staggering $930 billion in cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces over the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). This represents a $100 billion increase over the cuts initially proposed by the House in May, signaling an even more aggressive assault on the healthcare safety net. The CBO estimates that these cuts could leave an additional third of the current 26 million uninsured Americans without coverage, reversing historic gains made under the Obama and Biden administrations that brought the uninsured rate to record lows.
The mechanism for these cuts is as insidious as it is effective: increased bureaucratic red tape. The bill mandates that Medicaid recipients prove their eligibility every six months instead of annually, requiring extensive documentation of income and health status. For low-income families, the elderly, and those battling physical or mental health challenges, this process is a nightmare. "This isn't about efficiency-- it's about kicking people off their healthcare," said Julie Rovner of KFF Health News on NPR's *Up First*. "Forcing sick or struggling people to navigate a mountain of paperwork is a deliberate barrier to access."
Progressive leaders like Senator Elizabeth Warren have decried the bill as a betrayal of vulnerable Americans. "This is a direct attack on working families who rely on Medicaid and the ACA to survive," Warren tweeted yesterday. "The GOP is choosing corporate tax breaks over the health of millions." Advocates warn that the cuts will disproportionately harm communities of color, rural residents, and those with chronic illnesses, exacerbating existing inequities in the healthcare system.
Undermining Public Safety with ATF Rollbacks
Equally alarming are the bill's implications for gun safety. The Trump administration, in collaboration with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is pushing nearly 50 regulatory changes to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). These changes aim to loosen gun regulations, including extending the validity of background checks for firearm purchases from 30 to 60 days and allowing gun dealers to destroy records after 20 years instead of keeping them indefinitely.
These rollbacks are a direct threat to public safety. The ATF's ability to trace guns used in crimes-- described as a "gun's fingerprint" by NPR's Meg Anderson-- is critical for law enforcement. Yet, the Department of Justice has proposed slashing over 500 ATF investigators, gutting the agency's capacity to combat gun violence. Brandon del Pozo, former police chief of Burlington, Vermont, called the cuts contradictory to the Trump administration's "tough on crime" rhetoric. "You can't claim to support law enforcement while dismantling the tools they need to solve crimes," del Pozo told NPR.
Gun control advocates, including Everytown for Gun Safety, have condemned the changes as reckless. "Lengthening background check windows and destroying records makes it easier for guns to end up in the wrong hands," said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. "This is a gift to the gun lobby at the expense of our communities."
A Deficit-Ballooning Giveaway to the Wealthy
The megabill's fiscal irresponsibility is another point of contention. While Republicans claim it's necessary to avoid a tax hike as Trump-era tax cuts expire, the CBO's $3.3 trillion deficit projection tells a different story. Critics argue the bill prioritizes tax breaks for corporations and high earners while slashing programs that millions rely on. "This is trickle-down economics on steroids," said Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "They're gutting healthcare and public safety to fund giveaways for the ultra-rich."
The bill's passage is not a done deal. House Speaker Mike Johnson faces a tight vote, with some conservative Republicans balking at the increased costs compared to the House's May version. Progressive activists are urging Democrats to unite in opposition and rally public pressure to stop the bill. Protests are planned outside the Capitol today, with groups like Indivisible and the Poor People's Campaign calling for action to protect healthcare and gun safety measures.
A Call to Action
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Post Article Comment and Rate This Article
