Former President Barack Obama warned Wednesday that more than 16 million Americans risk losing their health coverage as House Republicans struggle to advance President Donald Trump‘s sweeping tax and spending package that includes significant cuts to Medicaid funding.
What Happened: “More than 16 million Americans are at risk of losing their health care because Republicans in Congress are rushing to pass a bill that would cut federal funding for Medicaid and weaken the Affordable Care Act,” Obama said in a social media statement. “If the House passes this bill, it will increase costs and hurt working class families for generations to come.”
The former president urged Americans to “call your representative today and tell them to vote no on this bill,” as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) worked through the night to secure enough votes for passage by Trump’s July 4 deadline, according to the Associated Press report.
The legislation, dubbed Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” would implement a $1 trillion Medicaid cut over 10 years while expanding work requirements for able-bodied adults ages 19-64, including parents of children 14 and older.
Recipients would need to log 80 hours monthly of work, study, or volunteering to maintain coverage.
Why It Matters: The Congressional Budget Office projects that approximately 12 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 from the Medicaid provisions alone.
States would face increased administrative burdens, conducting eligibility verification twice yearly and income checks every six months.
The 887-page bill also targets the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program with $295 billion in cuts over a decade, representing the deepest food-aid reduction in modern history.
Work requirements would expand to able-bodied adults without small children until age 64, up from 54 under current law.
House Republicans faced significant resistance from their own caucus Wednesday night, with several members refusing to vote on the procedural measure.
Trump criticized the delay in a midnight social media post, warning holdouts about “COSTING YOU VOTES!!!”
The package includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts over 10 years, with provisions for deducting tips and overtime pay, plus a temporary $6,000 deduction for seniors earning under $75,000 annually.
Defense and immigration enforcement would receive $350 billion in new funding, according to the AP report.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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