The Ugly Side Effects of the "Big Beautiful Bill"
By now, you've surely heard of Public Law 119-21, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) and more commonly, the "Big Beautiful Bill". Unlike most bills, which tackle single issues, this massive act made sweeping changes across hundreds of agencies and will affect us all in dozens of ways.
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Hurting Michigan
The roads and bridges need work. Educational outcomes are worsening. Grocery prices keep going up. The job market isn't great. Sadly, it's going to get much worse.
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The Trump administration's "Big Beautiful Bill" will reduce our state budget by over a billion dollars. Sadly, Michigan will be one of the most dramatically punished states in terms of the bill's impact.
Harming Mothers & Babies
Over half of all families in Newaygo County rely on funding from Medicaid to pay for their baby's birth. According to Forbes, it costs almost $13,000 to have a vaginal birth in Michigan. Those needing C-sections, or who require specialty medical care, can expect to pay twice as much or even more. The costs associated with prematurely, disabled, or sickly babies can run into the hundreds of thousands. Medicaid made it possible for 51% of Newaygo families to welcome home their bundles of joy. Sadly, the "Big Beautiful Bill" has cut Medicaid by about 1 TRILLION dollars. In our home state of Michigan, we will lose 15 billion in Medicaid funding over the next ten years.
What does this mean for the Newaygo County families who need Medicaid? Unfortunately, this means many local families will be faced with a terrible choice. Some will choose termination. Others will go deep into debt, spending decades buried under the mountain of bills. Still others will be forced to juggle necessities, perhaps going without meals or medical care for themselves. This isn't what we want for the families of Newaygo County.
Leaving School Children Hungry
We all know kids need food to learn. Healthy, satisfying meals give kids the energy to study, play, and participate in the classroom. Here in Michigan, we have been lucky enough to make sure that every child receives a free breakfast and lunch, regardless of how much money their parents earn. This means no child faces teasing or discrimination for being "poor"; everyone gets the same meal free of charge. This also means no one goes hungry, keeping classes running smoother and giving kids the energy for sports and chores.
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While up to 25% of Newaygo County children already suffer from food insecurity - often missing meals or not knowing where their next meal is coming from - billionaire Trump and his disturbingly wealthy cronies don't seem to care. They have dramatically cut federal funding for school meals by $700,000,000 - that's 700 MILLION. What will happen to these food insecure children when free school meals come to an end?