The colossal taxation and domestic policy bill hastily passed by the Republican Congress and endorsed by ex-President Trump has been a topic of heated debates. It has been heavily criticized for escalating tax reductions and limiting beneficial programs such as Medicaid and food assistance. This legislation significantly increases spending on immigration enforcement and worryingly contributes trillions to the national debt.
One of the most critical matters at hand is the slashing of federal health care spending, with cuts nearing a staggering $1 trillion. This drastic reduction is predicted to have widespread devastating impacts, stripping nearly 12 million citizens of their health insurance coverage by 2034, as per the impartial Congressional Budget Office.
This law imposes an intrusive biannual work requirement screening on many Medicaid beneficiaries, expected to commence by 2027. Officials predict this change will not only hamper their quality of life but also rob them of necessary medical insurance coverage.
Massachusetts, a state that will be significantly affected, estimates an alarming number of 300,000 residents could be left uninsured. These residents currently rely on the services provided by the state’s Medicaid program, MassHealth, and the state health insurance marketplace.
The law further includes an additional prohibition regrading Medicaid payments to some nonprofit health care groups that provide abortions. It’s clear that regardless of the services these organizations provide, like cancer screenings and birth control, their essential work has been politically targeted and overshadowed.
In what seems to be a bold step in the wrong direction, this law introduces extensive modifications to the food assistance program, burdening states with increased costs and demanding recipients meet stricter work eligibility criteria.
The much-needed aid of the food assistance program would require immigrants to hold lawful permanent residency status, effectively excluding refugees or immigrants with temporary protected status or other legal standings previously eligible for SNAP. Critics argue alimentation advocates will likely face increased stress and pressure on an already strained emergency food system due to this change.
In a bid to fulfill Trump’s ill-conceived mass deportation pledge, Congress has allocated an egregious sum of more than $150 billion. This swollen budget is set to be squandered on hiring new federal agents, constructing a needless border wall, and increasing immigrant detention capacity.
In an unexpected turn, this bill also piles on the tax burden for renowned private colleges and universities with large endowments. This decision seems misguided at best, and harmful to the academic community at worst.
This legislation is expected to render college education less accessible for students, according to Massachusetts education officials. By placing an undue financial burden on learning institutions, it jeopardizes the ability of potentially thousands of scholars to access quality higher education.
The bill shockingly caps student loans for individuals at $100,000 for graduate studies and $200,000 for professional studies. Critics argue this deliberate move to put a price tag on education undermines the value of academic endeavour and limits opportunities for students who don’t come from wealthy backgrounds.
Moreover, it restricts the sum parents can borrow to fund their child’s college education, using the Parent Plus Loan, to a mere $65,000. Fathers, mothers, guardians, and the entire support system of aspiring students are left in a financially vulnerable position, callously disregarded by the very people they elected to represent their interests.
This blatant disregard for the nation’s most vulnerable citizens, under the guise of protecting economic integrity, continues to be overlooked by the Biden-Harris administration. Their silence on these pressing issues remains deafening.
It is safe to conclude, then, that this law, passed under the previous administration, remains a stain on Biden’s tenure. This predicament offers a harsh reality check on the current administration’s commitment to reverse such destructive policies in favour of more inclusive and fair ones.
The post Biden Silent as Congressional Budget Office Reveals 12 Million to Lose Health Cover appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
