Medicaid cuts will impact Black children the most

WASHINGTON — As Republicans race back to Washington to approve a final vote Wednesday on Trump’s tax and spending cuts bill, the bill’s cuts to Medicaid will impact Black children at a higher rate than any other group in the nation.

The bill would drastically cut healthcare benefits for millions of low-income Americans to pay for an extension of Trump’s 2017 corporate tax cuts and other tax breaks. It introduces a new 80-hour per month work requirements for most adults to access Medicaid, and it turns over much of the cost of SNAP (formerly food stamps) to the states, many of which can’t afford to absorb those costs.

“The anticipated cuts to both Medicaid and SNAP threaten the economic security of millions of working families,” according to the Economic Policy Institute. The cuts to Medicaid will impact over six million Black children and teens, according to estimates. Overall, as many as eight million Americans could lose coverage completely.

While non-Hispanic white Americans make up the largest number of Medicaid recipients, Black and Hispanic Americans are more likely to depend on Medicaid for health coverage.

Roughly 29 percent of Black individuals and 29.6 percent of Hispanic individuals rely on Medicaid, EPI data shows. Meanwhile, 51.4 percent of Black children and teens and 50.4 percent of Hispanic children and teens rely on Medicaid or CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) for health coverage.

Republicans race back

President Trump has demanded Republicans pass the bill this week so he can sign it by the July 4 holiday.

“Nobody wants to talk about GROWTH, which will be the primary reason that the Big, Beautiful Bill will be one of the most successful pieces of legislation ever passed,” the twice-impeached, 34-count felony-convicted two-term president posted on his Truth Social account Wednesday morning.

Republicans have spent days on social media claiming the purpose of the bill is to stop fraud, waste and abuse of social safety net programs. Meanwhile, Democrats argue the bill will place healthcare and many basic necessities out of reach for families that were already struggling.

“The House will work quickly to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill that enacts President Trump’s full America First agenda by the Fourth of July. The American people gave us a clear mandate, and after four years of Democrat failure, we intend to deliver without delay,” House GOP leaders said in a joint statement.

With thunderstorms delaying flights to Washington, some Congress members on both sides of the aisle are racing back in their cars to make it to the crucial vote, the Associated Press reported.

Related Stories:

• How the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ Betrays Black America
• Senate Passes Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ in Razor-Thin Vote

Democrats rally opposition to Medicaid cuts

In a last ditch effort to pressure Republicans in swing districts to vote against the bill, Democrats have begun calling out their GOP colleagues by name. In a Congress where Republicans hold a 220-212 majority, just a handful of no votes could tank the bill.

“All we need are four,” Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at the steps of the Capitol Wednesday. “Why would Rob Bresnahan vote for this bill? Why would Scott Perry vote for this bill?” he said, referencing two Republicans from the swing state of Pennsylvania.

According to the Tax Policy Center, the bill would result in a $150 tax break for Americans on the lowest tax bracket, a $1,750 tax break for Americans in the middle and a $10,950 tax break for Americans at the top.