Trump's big bill also seeks to undo the big bills of Biden and Obama
Share this @internewscast.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — Breaking down President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act and scaling back the green energy incentives from President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

At its core, the Republican’s ambitious legislative proposal represents more than just continuing the tax reductions introduced during President Donald Trump’s tenure.

The package is an attempt by Republicans to undo, little by little, the signature domestic achievements of the past two Democratic presidents.

“We’re going to do what we said we were going to do,” Speaker Mike Johnson said after House passage last month.

The primary aim of the comprehensive bill, which spans over 1,000 pages, is to maintain approximately $4.5 trillion in tax cuts set to expire at year’s end if Congress does not intervene, alongside introducing new tax breaks such as exempting tips from taxes. However, the proposed spending reductions targeting Democratic-led initiatives are generating significant political friction.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said this week that 10.9 million fewer people would have health insurance under the GOP bill, including 1.4 million immigrants in the U.S. without legal status who are in state-funded programs. At the same time, lawmakers are being hounded by businesses in states across the nation who rely on the green energy tax breaks for their projects.

As the package moves from the House to the Senate, the simmering unrest over curbing the Obama and Biden policies shows just how politically difficult it can be to slash government programs once they become part of civic life.

“When he asked me, what do you think the prospects are for passage in the Senate? I said, good — if we don’t cut Medicaid,” said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., recounting his conversation last week with Trump. “And he said, I’m 100% supportive of that.”

Health care worries

Not a single Republican in Congress voted for the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, in 2010, or Biden’s inflation act in 2022. Both were approved using the same budget reconciliation process now being employed by Republicans to steamroll Trump’s bill past the opposition.

Even still, sizable coalitions of GOP lawmakers are forming to protect aspects of both of those programs as they ripple into the lives of millions of Americans.

Hawley, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and others are wary of changes to Medicaid and other provisions in the bill that would result in fewer people being able to access health care programs.

At the same time, crossover groupings of House and Senate Republicans have launched an aggressive campaign to preserve, at least for some time, the green energy tax breaks that business interests in their states are relying on to develop solar, wind and other types of energy production.

Murkowski said one area she’s “worried about” is the House bill’s provision that any project not under construction within 60 days of the bill becoming law may no longer be eligible for those credits.

“These are some of the things we’re working on,” she said.

The concerns are running in sometimes opposite directions and complicating the work of GOP leaders who have almost no votes to spare in the House and Senate as they try to hoist the package over Democratic opposition and onto the president’s desk by the Fourth of July.

While some Republicans are working to preserve the programs from cuts, the budget hawks want steeper reductions to stem the nation’s debt load. The CBO said the package would add $2.4 trillion to deficits over the decade.

After a robust private meeting with Trump at the White House this week, Republican senators said they were working to keep the bill on track as they amend it for their own priorities.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the president “made the pitch and the argument for why we need to get the bill done.”

The disconnect is reminiscent of Trump’s first term, when Republicans promised to repeal and replace Obamacare, only to see their effort collapse in dramatic fashion when the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz, voted thumbs down for the bill on the House floor.

Battle over Medicaid

In the 15 years since Obamacare became law, access to health care has grown substantially. Some 80 million people are now enrolled in Medicaid, and the Kaiser Family Foundation reports 41 states have opted to expand their coverage. The Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid to all adults with incomes up to about $21,500 for an individual, or almost $29,000 for a two-person household.

While Republicans no longer campaign on ending Obamacare, advocates warn that the changes proposed in the big bill will trim back access to health care.

The bill proposes new 80 hours of monthly work or community service requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients, age 18 to 64, with some exceptions. It also imposes twice-a-year eligibility verification checks and other changes.

Republicans argue that they want to right-size Medicaid to root out waste, fraud and abuse and ensure it’s there for those who need it most, often citing women and children.

“Medicaid was built to be a temporary safety net for people who genuinely need it — young, pregnant women, single mothers, the disabled, the elderly,” Johnson told The Associated Press.

“But when they expanded under Obamacare, it not only thwarted the purpose of the program, it started draining resources.”

Initially, the House bill proposed starting the work requirements in January 2029, as Trump’s term in the White House would be coming to a close. But conservatives from the House Freedom Caucus negotiated for a quicker start date, in December 2026, to start the spending reductions sooner.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has said the changes are an Obamacare rollback by another name.

“It decimates our health care system, decimates our clean energy system,” Schumer of New York said in an interview with the AP.

The green energy tax breaks involve not only those used by buyers of electric vehicles, like Elon Musk’s Tesla line, but also the production and investment tax credits for developers of renewables and other energy sources.

The House bill had initially proposed a phaseout of those credits over the next several years. But again the conservative Freedom Caucus engineered the faster wind-down — within 60 days of the bill’s passage.

“Not a single Republican voted for the Green New Scam subsidies,” wrote Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, on social media. “Not a single Republican should vote to keep them.”

“REPEAL THE GREEN NEW SCAM!” reposted Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a Freedom Caucus leader.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Colin Allred Announces Bid for US Senate

DALLAS (Nexstar) — Former U.S. Congressman Colin Allred officially launched his campaign…

Key Highlights from the Senate’s Extensive 1,000-Page Policy Bill

Senate Republicans on Tuesday jammed through a major package advancing President Trump’s…

Dream Vacation for Basketball Fans: Rent Michael Jordan’s Former Chicago Mansion on Airbnb

A mansion in the Chicago area, once owned by legendary NBA player…

Man Arrested by BCSO for Alleged Murder of Toddler

STATESBORO, Ga. () — The Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) arrested a…

Man Detained After Making Threats Toward Texas Governor and Judge, Say Police

AUSTIN (KXAN) A 31-year-old was arrested Sunday after the Criminal Investigation Division…

Reduced School Weeks? Research Indicates 4-Day Schedules Might Not Benefit All Students

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Amid a growing trend of four-day school weeks,…

Jeff Knight and His Company Face Second Lawsuit Over Ferry Collision Alleging Negligence

CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — A lawsuit has been filed by a family…

Trump Launches Luxury Fragrance Line for $249

(The Hill) — President Donald Trump launched a new business venture on…

Bob Vylan dismisses criticism, claiming they are being singled out for discussing Gaza at Glastonbury.

LONDON – On Tuesday, rap-punk duo Bob Vylan addressed accusations of antisemitism…

Florida GOP Launches ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Merchandise Before Trump’s Visit

(The Hill) — Ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit, the Florida Republican…

Valuable Gear Stolen from Kansas City Youth Sports Organization

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –Thieves stole thousands of dollars worth of equipment from…

Survey Reveals 75% Believe Democracy is Under Serious Threat

(The Hill) – Three-quarters of U.S. adults say the future of democracy…