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Capitol Hill debates Trump's mega-bill amid Republican division

President Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill" faces opposition from within his party as lawmakers debate work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps, tax cuts, and spending reductions.

Capitol Hill debates Trump's mega-bill amid Republican division

President Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill" faces opposition from within his party as lawmakers debate work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps, tax cuts, and spending reductions.

Washington News Bureau logo
Updated: 6:47 PM CDT May 21, 2025
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Capitol Hill debates Trump's mega-bill amid Republican division

President Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill" faces opposition from within his party as lawmakers debate work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps, tax cuts, and spending reductions.

Washington News Bureau logo
Updated: 6:47 PM CDT May 21, 2025
Editorial Standards
The House Rules Committee convened overnight on Capitol Hill to discuss President Donald Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act," which includes tax breaks, spending cuts, and increased security measures, amid ongoing negotiations with the conservative House Freedom Caucus seeking deeper spending cuts.One of the major points of contention is the work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps. The bill proposes delaying these requirements until 2027, but conservatives are pushing for immediate implementation. The plan mandates that able-bodied adults without dependents must work or volunteer 80 hours a month, raising the age cap from 54 to 64, and requiring some parents with children as young as seven to comply.Republicans argue these changes will reduce waste, fraud, and abuse. However, the Congressional Budget Office warns that millions could lose benefits, with 8.6 million potentially losing health insurance and 3 million losing SNAP benefits.The bill also extends the Trump tax cuts and introduces new breaks, such as no federal taxes on tips for some service workers, no tax on auto loan interest for American-made cars, or some overtime pay, a larger standard deduction, an increased child tax credit, and a new break for Social Security benefits. Additionally, Republicans from blue states have successfully negotiated a quadrupling of state and local tax deductions, known as SALT, which affects those who itemize their tax returns.A recent analysis from the Congressional Budget Office indicates that, over the next decade, the tax cuts would add $3.8 trillion to the deficit, while spending cuts, including those to Medicaid and SNAP, would save about $1 trillion.Speaker Mike Johnson aims for a vote by Memorial Day, but with the party divided, the bill's future remains uncertain. The stakes are significant both economically and politically.The legislation would require states to cover more of the SNAP costs, starting with a substantial federal funding cut of about $267 billion over the next decade. States would need to cover 5% of the benefit costs and 75% of the program's administrative costs, whereas, currently, states do not contribute to benefits and only cover half of the administrative costs. If a state's payment error rate exceeds 6%, they could be responsible for up to 25% of the benefit costs. Supporters believe this will incentivize states to improve their systems, but critics warn it could result in fewer benefits for families in need.The current budget expires on Sept. 30, and the Trump administration has expressed concerns about a potential U.S. default on loans if the debt ceiling is not raised before August.

The House Rules Committee convened overnight on Capitol Hill to discuss President Donald Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act," which includes tax breaks, spending cuts, and increased security measures, amid ongoing negotiations with the conservative House Freedom Caucus seeking deeper spending cuts.

One of the major points of contention is the work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps. The bill proposes delaying these requirements until 2027, but conservatives are pushing for immediate implementation. The plan mandates that able-bodied adults without dependents must work or volunteer 80 hours a month, raising the age cap from 54 to 64, and requiring some parents with children as young as seven to comply.

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Republicans argue these changes will reduce waste, fraud, and abuse. However, the Congressional Budget Office warns that millions could lose benefits, with 8.6 million potentially losing health insurance and 3 million losing SNAP benefits.

The bill also extends the Trump tax cuts and introduces new breaks, such as no federal taxes on tips for some service workers, no tax on auto loan interest for American-made cars, or some overtime pay, a larger standard deduction, an increased child tax credit, and a new break for Social Security benefits. Additionally, Republicans from blue states have successfully negotiated a quadrupling of state and local tax deductions, known as SALT, which affects those who itemize their tax returns.

A recent analysis from the Congressional Budget Office indicates that, over the next decade, the tax cuts would add $3.8 trillion to the deficit, while spending cuts, including those to Medicaid and SNAP, would save about $1 trillion.

Speaker Mike Johnson aims for a vote by Memorial Day, but with the party divided, the bill's future remains uncertain. The stakes are significant both economically and politically.

The legislation would require states to cover more of the SNAP costs, starting with a substantial federal funding cut of about $267 billion over the next decade. States would need to cover 5% of the benefit costs and 75% of the program's administrative costs, whereas, currently, states do not contribute to benefits and only cover half of the administrative costs. If a state's payment error rate exceeds 6%, they could be responsible for up to 25% of the benefit costs. Supporters believe this will incentivize states to improve their systems, but critics warn it could result in fewer benefits for families in need.

The current budget expires on Sept. 30, and the Trump administration has expressed concerns about a potential U.S. default on loans if the debt ceiling is not raised before August.