With the final tie-breaking vote cast by Vice-President J.D. Vance, the House passed the Trump Administration’s Big Beautiful Bill today, sending it to Trump’s desk in time for an Independence Day signing ceremony.
While the Right celebrates a victory, happy with the many carve-outs geared to line the pockets of the right-wing elite and advance partisan political ideology, the rest of America – in particular, the most vulnerable in society, are steadying themselves for what inevitably could mean drastic changes to essential benefits.
Significant cuts to Medicaid and SNAP benefits have been widely reported. They arguably will deteriorate the quality of life of low-income Americans who rely on the health and food benefits – including kicking off over a quarter of a million people from SNAP rolls, leaving millions of children without secure access to nutritional foods.
Less widely reported are other cuts, changes, and appropriations that will also drastically change America.
The bill completely changes student loan repayment plans – reducing from four to just two plan options: a standard plan and the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP). The Biden-Harris administration’s Saving on a Value Education (SAVE) plan – which was the most affordable repayment plan, was removed entirely.
Even the RAP will increase repayments – the Student Borrower Protection Center found that an average borrower with a college degree would pay an additional $2,929 per year in student loan payments under RAP.
Just as concerning are the carve-outs and appropriations for Trump’s base.
An appropriation of $100 million will provide funding for the White House Office of Management and Budget, which is currently led by Trump appointee and Project 2025 co-author Russell Vought.
Additionally, the Bill will greatly expand funding – to the tune of almost $ 30 billion- to enhance enforcement and deportation operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). That is nearly three times ICE’s 2024 annual budget.
Finally, for Trump’s wealthy base, the bill includes a 100% federal tax credit for families who donate to private school voucher funds – creating an uncapped program that could cost the government almost $51 billion per year. Far exceeding the Federal government’s budget for Title I public school funding and Disability Education Funding.
Ultimately, just as much of the Trump Administration’s moves to date, the Big Beautiful Bill further increases political partisanship with a victory for the Right elite and their partisan political agenda at the expense of America’s most vulnerable