President Donald Trump’s tax-cut and spending bill falls under harsh criticism as it makes its way through congress. Dubbed by Donald Trump as “The One Big Beautiful Bill”, the 1,100 page proposal aims to extend both individual and corporate income tax breaks that had previously been in place during Trump’s 2017 administration in addition to no taxes on tips. The bill also includes a massive $350 billion allocation towards border security, deportations and national security, raising concerns as to how the lost revenue would be recovered.
Republicans suggest offsetting the cost through cuts in federal spending including the cancellation of the green-energy incentives passed under Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration. Further funding would be recovered through cuts within safety net programs including both Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. For instance, Medicaid and SNAP would undergo $600 billion and $230 billion cuts, in addition to both programs experiencing new 80-hour-per-month work requirements for all able-bodied adults between the ages of 19 through 65. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the following changes could result in 10.9 million Americans losing health insurance coverage by 2034. Moreover, the bill would also shorten the enrollment period for all enrollees of the Affordable Care Act, with it ending on December 15. This alteration would directly undermine the 40 percent of enrollees –around 10 million individuals– who choose a plan after December 15. It would also curtail year-round enrollment for Americans who fall under the poverty line.
In a separate report the CBO’s economists estimated the bill would cut taxes by $3.7 trillion but also increase deficits by $2.4 trillion throughout the coming decade. In a rebuttal to the analysis, the White House released an article citing the CBO’s estimate as a “faulty score” while shifting the focus towards the $1.7 billion the bill would put aside as mandatory savings. Furthermore, the statement claimed the Trump administration would do its due diligence in reducing the deficit by $6.6 trillion in the coming decade.
The Trump administration rebuttal cited the CBO’s inaccuracy was due to their shortened estimate of the potential revenue garnered through the tax-breaks, and their negligence to account for the inflation that lingered from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. White House press secretary Karoline Leavit remarked this miscalculation may have been due to the bias held by employees of the CBO despite the agency’s known stance as nonpartisan with workers facing strict regulations regarding party affiliation and activity.
Despite the Trump Administration’s overwhelming enthusiasm, the bill has yet to successfully pass through congress. Currently the bill lies within the hands of the Senate following a narrow 215-214 win within the House of Representatives that fell largely across party lines. The Senate has placed the bill under revision, potentially requiring the House to vote on the bill once more. Further complications regarding the bill’s passing in the Senate have arisen despite the Republican majority of 53-47, as several Republican senators expressed concerns regarding the bill’s impact on the national debt. The “Big Beautiful Bill” may be wrapped in promises of prosperity and reform, but critics argue that its contents tell a different story.
Written by Ashika Chavan
