American Voices

Trump's giant budget-busting, Medicaid-shattering, shafting-the-poor- and-working-class, making-the-rich-even richer bill is a travesty

- Robert Reich American Voices Tribune Content Agency

One of my objectives in this column is to equip you with the facts you need. As the Senate approaches a vote on Trump's giant "big beautiful" tax and budget bill, I want to be as clear as possible about it.

First, it will cost a budget-busting $3.3 trillion. According to new estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the Senate bill would add at least $3.3 trillion to the already out-of-control national debt over a decade. That's nearly $1 trillion more than the House-passed version.

Second, it will cause 11.8 million Americans to lose their health coverage. The Senate version would result in even deeper cuts in federal support for health insurance and more Americans losing coverage than the House version. Federal spending on Medicaid, Medicare, and Obamacare would be reduced by more than $1.1 trillion over that period with more than $1 trillion of those cuts coming from Medicaid alone.

All told, this will leave 11.8 million more Americans uninsured by 2034.

Third, it will cut food stamps and other nutrition assistance for lower-income Americans. According to the CBO, the legislation will not only cut Medicaid by about 18%; it will cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) by roughly 20%. These cuts will constitute the most dramatic reductions in safety net spending in modern U.S. history.