Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

00:25:02
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjFL-cBcjKc

Sintesi

TLDRThe video critiques the 'one big beautiful bill,' a major piece of legislation supported by President Trump, which has passed the House and is now in the Senate. The bill is controversial for its potential cuts to healthcare and food assistance programs, particularly Medicaid and SNAP, which could lead to millions losing coverage. Critics argue that the bill disproportionately benefits the wealthy while harming vulnerable populations. The rushed nature of the bill's passage and the lack of public awareness are also highlighted, with polls showing significant opposition. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding the bill's implications and holding lawmakers accountable for their votes.

Punti di forza

  • 📜 The 'one big beautiful bill' is a major legislation pushed by Trump.
  • 🏛️ It passed the House by a narrow margin, with one member missing the vote.
  • 💰 The bill is criticized for benefiting the wealthy while cutting essential services.
  • 🚑 Major cuts to Medicaid could lead to millions losing coverage.
  • 🍽️ SNAP funding is set to be reduced, impacting food assistance for many.
  • 📉 Polls show a majority of the public opposes the bill.
  • ⚠️ The bill's rushed passage raises concerns about its implications.
  • 📝 Administrative burdens could prevent eligible individuals from receiving benefits.
  • 👥 Critics argue the bill targets vulnerable populations unfairly.
  • 🔍 Understanding the bill's impact is crucial for accountability.

Linea temporale

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:00

    The segment discusses a significant piece of legislation known as the 'one big beautiful bill,' which has recently passed the House by a narrow margin. President Trump is urging the Senate to pass it quickly, despite some representatives admitting they haven't read the bill. Public opinion is largely against the bill, with many unaware of its contents, and it is expected to disproportionately benefit the wealthy while increasing the national debt.

  • 00:05:00 - 00:10:00

    The bill includes major cuts to healthcare and food assistance programs, particularly targeting Medicaid. Despite claims from lawmakers that Medicaid will be preserved, analyses suggest that work requirements will lead to millions losing coverage. The segment highlights the disconnect between lawmakers' rhetoric and the reality of those who rely on these programs, emphasizing that many Medicaid recipients are working or have disabilities.

  • 00:10:00 - 00:15:00

    The discussion shifts to the implications of work requirements for SNAP, the food assistance program, which would see significant cuts and expanded work requirements. Critics argue that these requirements do not effectively increase employment but rather create barriers for eligible individuals to access assistance. The segment underscores the potential for millions to lose food assistance due to bureaucratic hurdles.

  • 00:15:00 - 00:25:02

    The segment concludes by emphasizing the urgency of the bill's passage and the long-term consequences it may have on vulnerable populations. It calls for accountability from lawmakers who support the bill, warning that it could lead to significant harm for those in need of healthcare and food assistance, drawing parallels to past destructive policies.

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Video Domande e Risposte

  • What is the 'one big beautiful bill'?

    It is a significant piece of legislation supported by President Trump, currently moving through Congress.

  • What are the main concerns about the bill?

    The bill is criticized for potentially cutting healthcare and food assistance programs, disproportionately benefiting the wealthy.

  • How did the bill pass the House?

    It passed by a narrow margin, with one member missing the vote due to oversleeping.

  • What impact could the bill have on Medicaid?

    It could lead to major cuts and impose work requirements, resulting in millions losing coverage.

  • What changes are proposed for SNAP?

    The bill would reduce federal spending on SNAP and expand work requirements, affecting millions of recipients.

  • What do polls say about public opinion on the bill?

    Polls indicate that a majority of the public opposes the bill, with many unaware of its contents.

  • What are the potential consequences of the bill?

    It could lead to increased uninsured rates and cuts to essential services for vulnerable populations.

  • Who are some key figures mentioned in relation to the bill?

    President Trump, Speaker Johnson, and various Republican lawmakers are discussed.

  • What is the overall message of the video?

    The video warns of the negative implications of the bill and urges viewers to pay attention to its potential consequences.

  • What is the tone of the video?

    The tone is critical and satirical, using humor to highlight serious issues.

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Scorrimento automatico:
  • 00:00:04
    We're going to dive straight in with our
  • 00:00:05
    main story tonight, which concerns a
  • 00:00:07
    piece of legislation dear to President
  • 00:00:08
    Trump's heart. The one big beautiful
  • 00:00:11
    bill is among the most important pieces
  • 00:00:13
    of legislation in our country's history.
  • 00:00:15
    I don't think there's ever been anything
  • 00:00:16
    bigger. And I said, "Let's make it one
  • 00:00:18
    big beautiful bill." We're voting
  • 00:00:20
    essentially on the big beautiful that
  • 00:00:22
    gorgeous big beautiful bill. Stop it.
  • 00:00:25
    Stop it right now. First, the one big
  • 00:00:28
    beautiful bill sounds either like a
  • 00:00:30
    lumberjack with an Only Fans page or a
  • 00:00:32
    Pornhub tab for people who come to
  • 00:00:34
    Twoucans, but it is truly massive and
  • 00:00:37
    it's currently moving through Congress
  • 00:00:39
    after passing the House by the narrowest
  • 00:00:41
    of margins. With cheers of USA, House
  • 00:00:44
    Republicans passed their sweeping
  • 00:00:46
    version of the president's agenda.
  • 00:00:48
    Republicans in the House held two
  • 00:00:50
    overnight sessions. In the end, Speaker
  • 00:00:52
    Johnson eaked out his biggest victory
  • 00:00:54
    yet, winning by a single vote. Though
  • 00:00:57
    the dark of night cost him. One member
  • 00:00:59
    who would have voted yes overslept and
  • 00:01:02
    missed it. It's true. It passed by a
  • 00:01:05
    single vote. Even though one
  • 00:01:06
    representative, Andrew Garberino, slept
  • 00:01:08
    through it, which is a little surprising
  • 00:01:10
    given his official portrait seems less
  • 00:01:12
    sleepy and more high on expired cough
  • 00:01:15
    medicine. The bill's currently in the
  • 00:01:18
    Senate and Trump is pushing them to pass
  • 00:01:19
    their version as soon as possible.
  • 00:01:21
    Posting to my friends in the Senate,
  • 00:01:22
    "Lock yourself in a room if you must.
  • 00:01:24
    Don't go home. Pass it immediately. No
  • 00:01:27
    one goes on vacation until it's done."
  • 00:01:30
    This whole process has been rushed to
  • 00:01:31
    the point that some House members who
  • 00:01:32
    voted for the bill later had to admit
  • 00:01:34
    that they hadn't read all of it.
  • 00:01:36
    Marjorie Taylor Green, arguably one of
  • 00:01:37
    the worst things to come out of Georgia
  • 00:01:39
    since the Trail of Tears, was upset when
  • 00:01:41
    she learned the House version included a
  • 00:01:43
    provision prohibiting states from
  • 00:01:45
    restricting AI for the next 10 years.
  • 00:01:48
    This past week, I have come out in full
  • 00:01:50
    transparency and said, "When I voted for
  • 00:01:53
    the one big beautiful bill, I didn't
  • 00:01:55
    know about this clause." Yeah, that's
  • 00:01:57
    not great. Although, to be fair, who
  • 00:01:59
    among us hasn't approved things that we
  • 00:02:00
    haven't read properly? It's why none of
  • 00:02:02
    you noticed Apple's new terms and
  • 00:02:03
    conditions technically give them rights
  • 00:02:05
    to your firstborn child. It is true Tim
  • 00:02:08
    Cook is pulling a rumple stiltskin right
  • 00:02:10
    now and he's coming for them as soon as
  • 00:02:12
    they can hold a tiny little screwdriver.
  • 00:02:15
    But a lot of people don't know what's in
  • 00:02:17
    this bill. About twothirds of the public
  • 00:02:19
    say they've heard little or nothing
  • 00:02:20
    about it. But when they do, they don't
  • 00:02:22
    like it. As polls show, those who've
  • 00:02:24
    heard a great deal or good amount about
  • 00:02:25
    it oppose it by a roughly 2:1 margin.
  • 00:02:28
    Even some Senate Republicans will admit
  • 00:02:30
    that not all their colleagues are
  • 00:02:32
    thrilled about the bill's contents. We
  • 00:02:34
    could spend four weeks, we could spend
  • 00:02:37
    four years and when we're done done, not
  • 00:02:40
    every Republican senator is going to
  • 00:02:42
    want to French kiss this final product.
  • 00:02:45
    It's just not going to happen. That is
  • 00:02:47
    such a weird way to phrase that. Why
  • 00:02:51
    would you force us all to imagine
  • 00:02:52
    lawmakers tonguing a stack of paper? But
  • 00:02:55
    as regular viewers know, Kennedy loves
  • 00:02:57
    gratuitous sex talk. From inserting the
  • 00:02:59
    phrase, I like omelets better than sex
  • 00:03:01
    into a discussion about, and this is
  • 00:03:03
    true, USID cuts, to this memorable
  • 00:03:06
    moment. I can't wait to have your
  • 00:03:10
    in my mouth. It's always always good.
  • 00:03:14
    And it is important to remember that in
  • 00:03:16
    the records of Congress, there is an
  • 00:03:17
    answer to the question, what if Faulhorn
  • 00:03:19
    Legghorn was a power bottom? And look,
  • 00:03:22
    as of taping, the bill still needs to
  • 00:03:24
    clear the Senate and then go back to the
  • 00:03:26
    House. And things are still coming in
  • 00:03:27
    and out of it. But the broad contours
  • 00:03:29
    are clear. It is a massive
  • 00:03:31
    redistribution of wealth upward
  • 00:03:33
    accompanied by gigantic cuts to critical
  • 00:03:35
    programs for the most vulnerable. So
  • 00:03:37
    given that tonight, let's talk about the
  • 00:03:39
    one big beautiful bill, what it
  • 00:03:41
    contains, and what it will actually do.
  • 00:03:43
    And let's start with the fact when Trump
  • 00:03:45
    talks about this bill, the main thing he
  • 00:03:46
    emphasizes that it will extend the tax
  • 00:03:48
    cuts Republicans passed in 2017. and add
  • 00:03:51
    some more, which he claims will be good
  • 00:03:53
    for everyone. The White House recently
  • 00:03:54
    said it'll deliver a blue collar boom
  • 00:03:57
    all caps, which sounds like a new
  • 00:03:59
    special at IHOP, tied to the Smurfs
  • 00:04:00
    movie that'll make you immediately
  • 00:04:03
    yourself. But that is more than a little
  • 00:04:05
    misleading because while the bill does
  • 00:04:07
    contain tax cuts for basically everyone,
  • 00:04:09
    their benefits are massively
  • 00:04:10
    concentrated among the wealthiest
  • 00:04:12
    Americans. In fact, 60% of the tax cuts
  • 00:04:15
    would go to the top 20% of households.
  • 00:04:18
    And you should know just about every
  • 00:04:19
    independent analysis agrees this bill
  • 00:04:22
    would add trillions to the national
  • 00:04:24
    debt. And to the extent the bill's tax
  • 00:04:25
    cuts are going to be paid for at all,
  • 00:04:27
    it'll be through slashing programs that
  • 00:04:30
    benefit the poor. And I want to talk
  • 00:04:31
    about two key areas they're targeting.
  • 00:04:34
    Health care and food assistance. When it
  • 00:04:36
    comes to health care, there are lots of
  • 00:04:38
    cuts, both big and small. For instance,
  • 00:04:40
    the bill fails to extend tax credits for
  • 00:04:42
    healthcare premiums under the ACA, while
  • 00:04:44
    adding burdensome paperwork that would
  • 00:04:46
    make it hard for people to remain on the
  • 00:04:47
    plans they already have. And I know that
  • 00:04:49
    might not sound like much to you, but
  • 00:04:51
    it's estimated those tweaks alone will
  • 00:04:53
    lead to 4.2 million people becoming
  • 00:04:55
    uninsured, which makes them pretty
  • 00:04:57
    consequential tweaks. It'd be like
  • 00:05:00
    changing RuPaul's drag race to Rand
  • 00:05:02
    Paul's drag race. You you can call it
  • 00:05:05
    just a tweak, but it's about to make
  • 00:05:07
    everything way worse.
  • 00:05:10
    But the big target here is Medicaid, the
  • 00:05:13
    public insurance program providing
  • 00:05:14
    health coverage to, among others, people
  • 00:05:16
    with low incomes and disabilities.
  • 00:05:18
    Though, this bill's defenders will
  • 00:05:19
    insist Medicaid is safe. I'm going to
  • 00:05:23
    say this very clearly. Our legislation
  • 00:05:25
    preserves Medicaid, strengthens Medicaid
  • 00:05:27
    for the people who actually need it and
  • 00:05:29
    deserve it. Look, we're going to do
  • 00:05:30
    everything we can to strengthen Medicaid
  • 00:05:33
    to preserve it for those who need it the
  • 00:05:35
    most. Medicare, Medicaid, none of that
  • 00:05:37
    stuff is going to be touched. Nothing. I
  • 00:05:39
    want you to have to. Okay, but there's a
  • 00:05:41
    few problems there. Starting with the
  • 00:05:43
    fact following through on a promise not
  • 00:05:44
    to touch something has never exactly
  • 00:05:46
    been one of Trump's strong suits. Also,
  • 00:05:49
    the math just doesn't support those
  • 00:05:51
    claims. As one analysis puts it, major
  • 00:05:54
    Medicaid cuts are the only way to meet
  • 00:05:57
    House budget resolution requirements.
  • 00:05:59
    And the big way this bill tries to do
  • 00:06:01
    that is by adding work requirements for
  • 00:06:03
    many low-income recipients who got
  • 00:06:05
    coverage under Medicaid expansion.
  • 00:06:07
    Effectively removing a lot of them from
  • 00:06:09
    the roles. Basically, under the bill, to
  • 00:06:12
    get Medicaid, they'd have to prove they
  • 00:06:14
    worked, volunteered, or went to school
  • 00:06:15
    for 80 hours a month. That alone is
  • 00:06:18
    projected to cause over 5 million
  • 00:06:20
    Americans to lose coverage by the end of
  • 00:06:22
    the decade. Though to hear Mike Johnson
  • 00:06:24
    tell it, that's just not a problem
  • 00:06:26
    because they're just targeting one
  • 00:06:28
    specific group. You don't want
  • 00:06:30
    able-bodied workers on a program that is
  • 00:06:32
    intended, for example, for single
  • 00:06:34
    mothers with two small children who's
  • 00:06:36
    just trying to make it. That's what
  • 00:06:37
    Medicaid is for. Not for 29year-old
  • 00:06:39
    males sitting on their couches playing
  • 00:06:41
    video games. We're going to find those
  • 00:06:42
    guys and we're going to send them back
  • 00:06:44
    to work. Okay? 29-year-old male sitting
  • 00:06:46
    on the couch playing video games. How is
  • 00:06:49
    it possible that Mike Johnson always
  • 00:06:50
    sounds so old and out of touch while
  • 00:06:52
    also managing to look like a 12-year-old
  • 00:06:54
    who dressed up as Steven Colbear for
  • 00:06:56
    Halloween?
  • 00:06:57
    The problem with that argument is that
  • 00:07:00
    most Medicaid enrolles are working. The
  • 00:07:03
    most recent data shows that nearly two
  • 00:07:04
    in three work and most of the rest have
  • 00:07:07
    a disability, are caring for family
  • 00:07:09
    members, or are attending school. And
  • 00:07:11
    yet, Republicans won't stop painting
  • 00:07:13
    lurid scenarios of Medicaid freeloaders.
  • 00:07:16
    For instance, here's the current head of
  • 00:07:17
    Medicare and Medicaid services, who
  • 00:07:19
    remember is inexplicably Dr. Oz
  • 00:07:21
    unloading the single weirdest
  • 00:07:23
    hypothetical you will ever hear in your
  • 00:07:26
    life. Here's a metaphor. You get home at
  • 00:07:28
    night with Lou and there's someone
  • 00:07:29
    sitting on your couch in the basement.
  • 00:07:31
    You don't know them and but they have
  • 00:07:32
    health insurance that you're paying for.
  • 00:07:34
    And you say, "Listen, to keep his health
  • 00:07:35
    insurance, I want you to apply for a
  • 00:07:37
    job. You don't have to work. Just apply
  • 00:07:38
    for a job. go get an education,
  • 00:07:40
    volunteer somewhere, be involved in the
  • 00:07:42
    community, or take care of one of the
  • 00:07:44
    kids in the family, help out a little
  • 00:07:45
    bit. If they say no, you say, "Well, I'm
  • 00:07:47
    taking your insurance away." That's not
  • 00:07:49
    an unreasonable deal to make. Okay,
  • 00:07:52
    let's just pause together for a moment
  • 00:07:55
    and unpack what he just described. In
  • 00:07:57
    that scenario, you get home at night to
  • 00:07:59
    find a complete stranger sitting on your
  • 00:08:01
    couch in your basement. Naturally, the
  • 00:08:03
    first thing they say is, "Hi, I have
  • 00:08:04
    health insurance that you're paying
  • 00:08:06
    for." But instead of screaming and
  • 00:08:07
    immediately calling 911, you calmly say,
  • 00:08:09
    "Okay, person I've never seen before.
  • 00:08:11
    I'll let you keep the health insurance I
  • 00:08:13
    just found out I'm paying for without
  • 00:08:14
    asking who you are or how you got into
  • 00:08:16
    my house. My one and only requirement is
  • 00:08:18
    that you apply for a job. You can use my
  • 00:08:21
    Wi-Fi as apparently you live in my
  • 00:08:22
    basement now." And that's a reality I've
  • 00:08:23
    quickly accepted. Or you can go get an
  • 00:08:26
    education or volunteer or take care of
  • 00:08:27
    one of my kids. Naturally, I trust you,
  • 00:08:29
    a complete stranger, unexpectedly in my
  • 00:08:32
    home with the lives of my children. And
  • 00:08:33
    then this individual says, "No, that
  • 00:08:35
    doesn't seem reasonable to me." So you
  • 00:08:37
    say, "Okay, well, you leave it with no
  • 00:08:39
    other option. I'm going to have to take
  • 00:08:41
    your insurance away." Obviously, you can
  • 00:08:43
    still live in my house. That goes
  • 00:08:44
    without saying your family now, but
  • 00:08:46
    you'll have to find a way to pay for
  • 00:08:48
    your own health insurance. That's not an
  • 00:08:50
    unreasonable deal to make. But honestly,
  • 00:08:53
    the weirdness of that scenario is
  • 00:08:55
    actually preferable to what it sounds
  • 00:08:57
    like when Dr. Oz gives you a glimpse
  • 00:08:59
    into what he really thinks work
  • 00:09:01
    requirements are for. I have confidence
  • 00:09:04
    in the American people. You give people
  • 00:09:05
    a chance to work. And we know we have
  • 00:09:07
    twice as many jobs as there are people
  • 00:09:09
    looking for them. Go out there, do entry
  • 00:09:11
    level jobs, get into the workforce,
  • 00:09:12
    prove that you matter, get agency into
  • 00:09:15
    your own life. It's a much more
  • 00:09:17
    enjoyable experience. If you're going
  • 00:09:19
    through life thinking you control your
  • 00:09:20
    destiny, and you'll get better insurance
  • 00:09:22
    at the same time. Hold on. Prove that
  • 00:09:25
    you matter. So, a person only means
  • 00:09:27
    something if they work. That is not true
  • 00:09:31
    at all. In fact, if ever there were
  • 00:09:33
    proof that you could work for decades
  • 00:09:35
    while adding exactly zero value to
  • 00:09:38
    society, it is Dr. Oz himself who, as
  • 00:09:41
    we've mentioned before, wanted an
  • 00:09:42
    episode of his show where he asked
  • 00:09:44
    Cameron Diaz this. Does this ever happen
  • 00:09:46
    to you? Um, luckily, no. I'm not a girl
  • 00:09:49
    that gets constipated. That is
  • 00:09:53
    the perfect facial response to that.
  • 00:09:55
    That was on daytime television that
  • 00:09:58
    played in restaurants and waiting rooms.
  • 00:10:01
    And as if work requirements weren't bad
  • 00:10:03
    enough, many are worried that federal
  • 00:10:05
    cuts to Medicaid will mean that states
  • 00:10:06
    are likely to cut things like home and
  • 00:10:08
    community based supports, which will
  • 00:10:09
    have huge consequences for those who
  • 00:10:12
    rely on those services to literally keep
  • 00:10:14
    them alive, as they have been trying to
  • 00:10:16
    make people understand. 20% of Erie
  • 00:10:20
    County residents receive Medicaid
  • 00:10:22
    services, including more than 100,000
  • 00:10:25
    children, but that funding is now in
  • 00:10:28
    jeopardy. Advocates for people with
  • 00:10:30
    disabilities say cuts to Medicaid could
  • 00:10:33
    mean cuts to home health care services
  • 00:10:35
    that literally enable some residents to
  • 00:10:38
    get out of bed each day. I really truly
  • 00:10:40
    believe that without Medicaid, without
  • 00:10:43
    my my direct care workers, my personal
  • 00:10:46
    care assistants, I would be dead. Yeah,
  • 00:10:49
    that woman clearly deserves to have
  • 00:10:52
    health care that keeps her alive. Even
  • 00:10:53
    in the insane theoretical situation that
  • 00:10:56
    she somehow moved into someone's
  • 00:10:58
    basement with no warning, which to be
  • 00:10:59
    clear has never happened to anyone and
  • 00:11:01
    never will, that would still be the
  • 00:11:03
    case. And as if that weren't bad enough,
  • 00:11:06
    and it really is. It is worth noting
  • 00:11:08
    people not on Medicaid will be affected,
  • 00:11:11
    too, as it's a major source of funding
  • 00:11:13
    for hospitals across the country. So
  • 00:11:14
    with these cuts, rural hospitals are
  • 00:11:17
    likely to be forced to reduce the
  • 00:11:18
    services they offer, cut staff, or close
  • 00:11:20
    altogether. And when you take all of the
  • 00:11:22
    bill's provisions concerning healthcare
  • 00:11:24
    together, the CBO estimates they'll
  • 00:11:26
    result in 16 million more uninsured
  • 00:11:29
    people in the year 2034 than would
  • 00:11:31
    otherwise be the case. And it is not
  • 00:11:32
    like people haven't tried to warn
  • 00:11:35
    Republicans of the consequences here. A
  • 00:11:37
    few weeks ago, we showed you this clip
  • 00:11:39
    of Joanie Erns delivering a bonkers
  • 00:11:41
    response to concerned constituents at a
  • 00:11:43
    town hall.
  • 00:11:45
    We people are not Well, we all are going
  • 00:11:49
    to die.
  • 00:11:51
    For heaven's sakes,
  • 00:11:54
    for heaven's sakes, folks. Yeah, it's
  • 00:11:57
    pretty bad. It's pretty bad. But
  • 00:11:59
    incredibly, it's still not as bad as the
  • 00:12:02
    sarcastic follow-up video that she
  • 00:12:04
    posted the next day. Hello everyone. I
  • 00:12:07
    would like to take this opportunity to
  • 00:12:09
    sincerely apologize for a statement that
  • 00:12:13
    I made yesterday at my town hall. I made
  • 00:12:18
    an incorrect assumption that everyone in
  • 00:12:21
    the auditorium understood
  • 00:12:24
    that yes, we are all going to perish
  • 00:12:28
    from this earth.
  • 00:12:31
    So, I apologize
  • 00:12:33
    and I'm really really glad that I did
  • 00:12:36
    not have to bring up the subject of the
  • 00:12:39
    tooth fairy as well. What the is
  • 00:12:42
    wrong with you? First, did you actually
  • 00:12:45
    drive to a cemetery for your fun little
  • 00:12:48
    video there? And second, no one was
  • 00:12:50
    under the impression that we're all
  • 00:12:52
    immortal, nor do we think the tooth
  • 00:12:53
    fairy is real, nor indeed the Easter
  • 00:12:55
    Bunny. Now, do I happen to believe that
  • 00:12:57
    leprechauns exist? Yes. But that's
  • 00:12:59
    because of a personal experience I once
  • 00:13:01
    had in Dublin. I don't want to get into
  • 00:13:02
    it now. Suffice to say, I'm down one pot
  • 00:13:04
    of gold and I know what I saw. But in
  • 00:13:06
    any case, the problem isn't being naive
  • 00:13:08
    to the concept of death. is that this
  • 00:13:11
    bill could make people die sooner than
  • 00:13:12
    they otherwise would. So that is
  • 00:13:15
    healthcare. What about the other crucial
  • 00:13:17
    program on the chopping block here
  • 00:13:19
    involving food? Well, this bill also
  • 00:13:21
    includes massive cuts to SNAP, the
  • 00:13:23
    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
  • 00:13:25
    Program or Food SNAPS. Currently, more
  • 00:13:27
    than 41 million people receive benefits
  • 00:13:29
    through it. It's the nation's largest
  • 00:13:30
    food aid program. And this bill would
  • 00:13:32
    reduce federal spending on SNAP by $287
  • 00:13:36
    billion over 10 years. Like the Medicaid
  • 00:13:39
    cuts, a lot of that is being done
  • 00:13:40
    through work requirements. SNAP already
  • 00:13:42
    has those, but this bill's about to
  • 00:13:45
    expand them significantly, including
  • 00:13:46
    raising the age limit at which they
  • 00:13:48
    apply from 54 all the way up to 64. The
  • 00:13:51
    Senate's version would also strip
  • 00:13:52
    exemptions from work requirements for
  • 00:13:54
    veterans, people experiencing
  • 00:13:56
    homelessness, and former foster youth.
  • 00:13:58
    And guess who is completely fine with
  • 00:14:00
    all that? If you're going to get free
  • 00:14:03
    food on a SNAP program, you have a work
  • 00:14:05
    requirement. It's an obligation to try
  • 00:14:06
    to work. You might not get a job, but
  • 00:14:08
    you got to try. Yeah, Dr. Oz is back
  • 00:14:11
    with his pull yourself up by your own
  • 00:14:12
    connections to Oprah That man
  • 00:14:15
    is a real piece of Which piece of
  • 00:14:18
    Who can say exactly?
  • 00:14:21
    One estimate found more than 5 million
  • 00:14:24
    people would be at risk of losing at
  • 00:14:26
    least some of their food assistance. And
  • 00:14:28
    on top of that, for the first time, the
  • 00:14:30
    bill would require states to pay for a
  • 00:14:32
    portion of SNAP benefits and cover more
  • 00:14:35
    administrative costs. In fact, the CBO
  • 00:14:36
    estimated that in a 10-year period, this
  • 00:14:38
    would shift about $121 billion in costs
  • 00:14:41
    to state governments, which has a lot of
  • 00:14:44
    people worried because states may not be
  • 00:14:46
    able to afford that. And those added
  • 00:14:48
    costs could force them to shrink SNAP
  • 00:14:50
    eligibility or even leave the program
  • 00:14:52
    altogether. And it is not like food
  • 00:14:54
    banks can easily pick up the slack here.
  • 00:14:57
    as the head of one in Iowa will tell
  • 00:14:58
    you, SNAP is the most effective tool
  • 00:15:02
    that we have to fight hunger uh in the
  • 00:15:05
    United States. Riverbend Food Bank
  • 00:15:07
    President Chris Ford says for every meal
  • 00:15:09
    his food bank provides, SNAP gives out
  • 00:15:12
    nine meals. We would not be able to meet
  • 00:15:15
    the needs of all those individuals. It
  • 00:15:18
    would be unprecedented times for food
  • 00:15:21
    banks. Yeah, it's not great to hear the
  • 00:15:23
    phrase unprecedented times for food
  • 00:15:25
    banks given they just survived a global
  • 00:15:28
    pandemic. In the same way that I'd be
  • 00:15:30
    nervous to hear that it's going to be an
  • 00:15:31
    unprecedented year for Katy Perry. What
  • 00:15:33
    more can possibly happen to her? She
  • 00:15:36
    went to space and fumbled this historic
  • 00:15:39
    baddy. Orlando, I need you to contact me
  • 00:15:41
    urgently. One of my writers is single
  • 00:15:43
    and is pointing a loaded gun at me as I
  • 00:15:45
    read this to you.
  • 00:15:47
    And at this point, it is worth pausing
  • 00:15:50
    to explain what's really going on here
  • 00:15:52
    with both Medicaid and SNAP. Because
  • 00:15:53
    even if you're thinking, well, maybe
  • 00:15:55
    work requirements are needed and limits
  • 00:15:57
    should be put on who gets these
  • 00:15:58
    benefits, there are some important
  • 00:16:00
    things you should know. First, study
  • 00:16:01
    after study has shown work requirements
  • 00:16:04
    do not increase work. What they do cause
  • 00:16:06
    is large drops in program participation,
  • 00:16:08
    including crucially a lot of people who
  • 00:16:11
    are actually still eligible to receive
  • 00:16:13
    help. And the reason for that is
  • 00:16:14
    something called administrative burdens.
  • 00:16:16
    basically all the obstacles between
  • 00:16:18
    someone and a program they're qualified
  • 00:16:20
    to receive, from paperwork to interviews
  • 00:16:22
    to regular check-ins and reertification,
  • 00:16:24
    which can wind up kicking them off. This
  • 00:16:27
    happens much more than you'd think. One
  • 00:16:30
    survey of people who were eligible for
  • 00:16:31
    but not participating in SNAP found that
  • 00:16:34
    40% were deterred by the paperwork
  • 00:16:36
    involved and another 37% noted that the
  • 00:16:39
    application was too timeconuming given
  • 00:16:41
    their family and work responsibilities.
  • 00:16:43
    and SNAP's administrative burdens have
  • 00:16:45
    meant that even those who do keep trying
  • 00:16:47
    can still wind up going without as this
  • 00:16:49
    couple with five children learned during
  • 00:16:51
    the pandemic. For a family of seven to
  • 00:16:54
    qualify, their income needs to be under
  • 00:16:56
    $52,000.
  • 00:16:58
    What's your best estimate of your yearly
  • 00:17:02
    income now? It's like 20,000 or under
  • 00:17:06
    for the two of you. That's combined. For
  • 00:17:08
    that's combined. That's combined. You've
  • 00:17:09
    applied for the SNAP program. We've been
  • 00:17:12
    denied several times. It said that I
  • 00:17:14
    need to turn in verifications of end of
  • 00:17:18
    employment for jobs that Barry hasn't
  • 00:17:21
    had in years. In years. Company doesn't
  • 00:17:23
    even exist anymore. Has it been hard to
  • 00:17:25
    get people on the phone? Yes. Yes. Yeah.
  • 00:17:29
    No I have no idea how I'd get the
  • 00:17:32
    last company I worked for on the phone
  • 00:17:34
    either, especially as that company was
  • 00:17:36
    AT&T.
  • 00:17:37
    I guess my best bet for contacting them
  • 00:17:40
    would probably be to whisper my
  • 00:17:41
    complaint into a bottle and throw it
  • 00:17:43
    into the Hudson River. I can't see any
  • 00:17:45
    other way. So basically, this bill is
  • 00:17:48
    taking all that bureaucratic
  • 00:17:50
    and somehow making it even worse. And
  • 00:17:52
    Republicans will insist these new work
  • 00:17:54
    requirements will work and that no one
  • 00:17:56
    truly deserving will be left behind. But
  • 00:17:59
    we know that is not true. And maybe the
  • 00:18:02
    best way to show this is to look at
  • 00:18:03
    Georgia and a state program called
  • 00:18:05
    Pathways to Coverage. It's a program
  • 00:18:07
    that rolled out there a few years ago
  • 00:18:09
    and Republicans apparently used it as a
  • 00:18:10
    possible template for restructuring
  • 00:18:12
    Medicaid. Pathways offers health
  • 00:18:15
    insurance with work requirements and it
  • 00:18:17
    launched with testimonials from people
  • 00:18:18
    like this man who owns an auto repair
  • 00:18:20
    shop. Uh became a member of Pathways in
  • 00:18:23
    the last year. Pathways is is a great
  • 00:18:25
    program that offers offers insurance to
  • 00:18:29
    lowincome and uh working professionals
  • 00:18:32
    such as myself, but I highly recommend
  • 00:18:34
    it because again, it offers that avenue
  • 00:18:36
    to you for you to have uh health
  • 00:18:38
    insurance uh where you otherwise would
  • 00:18:41
    not. Now, on his face, that sounds good.
  • 00:18:43
    A working man getting health insurance.
  • 00:18:45
    Dr. Oz would call him someone who
  • 00:18:46
    matters. Mike Johnson would call him not
  • 00:18:48
    29 and playing Halo. both would
  • 00:18:51
    presumably think he's a good candidate
  • 00:18:53
    for health insurance. It's no wonder he
  • 00:18:54
    became the deacto face of the program.
  • 00:18:57
    Unfortunately, it quickly became clear
  • 00:18:59
    Pathways had significant problems,
  • 00:19:02
    particularly regarding how its work
  • 00:19:03
    requirement was getting administered.
  • 00:19:05
    People 50 and older had an especially
  • 00:19:07
    hard time proving they met the
  • 00:19:09
    requirements, which forced them to
  • 00:19:10
    provide paperwork verifying their work
  • 00:19:12
    status every single month. That can be
  • 00:19:14
    hard, especially if you're not computer
  • 00:19:16
    savvy or don't have reliable internet.
  • 00:19:18
    There were stories like the man who had
  • 00:19:20
    to spend more than an hour every month
  • 00:19:22
    uploading employment documents to
  • 00:19:24
    reconfirm his eligibility, often using
  • 00:19:26
    the free Wi-Fi at his public library.
  • 00:19:29
    And this director of a clinic for
  • 00:19:30
    low-income patients reported that none
  • 00:19:32
    of her patients had enrolled. And she
  • 00:19:35
    wasn't surprised. The qualifications are
  • 00:19:38
    just too steep. You know, I have
  • 00:19:40
    patients that I have to put A on the
  • 00:19:43
    pill bottles if they take them in the
  • 00:19:45
    morning and P on the pill bottles if
  • 00:19:47
    they take them at night. And you expect
  • 00:19:50
    these people to be able to upload
  • 00:19:52
    documents and renew their health
  • 00:19:55
    insurance monthly.
  • 00:19:57
    It's not going to work. She's right.
  • 00:19:59
    Benevolent Anna Wintor is right because
  • 00:20:02
    just think about it. No matter who you
  • 00:20:04
    are, uploading documents can be
  • 00:20:06
    challenging. Have you ever tried to
  • 00:20:08
    upload new patient forms to a doctor's
  • 00:20:10
    online portal? It is a nightmare. You
  • 00:20:12
    click the upload button and select the
  • 00:20:14
    PDF of your form, but then the site says
  • 00:20:16
    something like PDF files not accepted.
  • 00:20:18
    Please upload Gulp files. Except you've
  • 00:20:20
    never heard of Gulp files before. So you
  • 00:20:22
    Google how do you convert PDF to Gulp.
  • 00:20:24
    And the results say that you need an app
  • 00:20:26
    called Gulp Transformer that cost $9.99.
  • 00:20:28
    And so you go back and search free PDF
  • 00:20:30
    to Gulp converter and finally find a
  • 00:20:32
    site that says you can do it with Adobe
  • 00:20:33
    Acrobat. First, you have to convert the
  • 00:20:34
    PDF to a muks file and then convert the
  • 00:20:37
    mukes to a gulp. And at that point, you
  • 00:20:39
    just throw your computer out the
  • 00:20:40
    window. Even people savvy enough to
  • 00:20:45
    navigate George's system found it hard.
  • 00:20:47
    One single mother wasn't able to enroll
  • 00:20:48
    because she said the portal crashed each
  • 00:20:50
    of the three times she tried to apply.
  • 00:20:52
    And after calling the customer service
  • 00:20:54
    line, she bounced around from one robot
  • 00:20:56
    voice to another before ultimately
  • 00:20:58
    giving up. Even that repair shop owner
  • 00:21:01
    had his benefits canled twice due to
  • 00:21:04
    bureaucratic red tape. He described one
  • 00:21:06
    of those times saying, "My head
  • 00:21:07
    exploded. I didn't get a text or an
  • 00:21:09
    email. I did what I was supposed to do,
  • 00:21:12
    but that wasn't good enough." Which is a
  • 00:21:14
    pretty startling U-turn from the face of
  • 00:21:16
    pathways to coverage. It'd be like Jane
  • 00:21:19
    Goodall suddenly saying, "You know what?
  • 00:21:21
    chimpanzees.
  • 00:21:23
    They're stupid, hairy and if I
  • 00:21:25
    could strangle everyone until they went
  • 00:21:27
    extinct, I would. Jesus Christ, Jane,
  • 00:21:30
    what happened?
  • 00:21:32
    And this administrative cluster
  • 00:21:34
    wasn't cheap either. By the end of last
  • 00:21:36
    year, the Pathways program cost federal
  • 00:21:38
    and state taxpayers more than $86
  • 00:21:40
    million, 3/4 of which had gone to
  • 00:21:43
    consultants. And 18 months into the
  • 00:21:46
    program, a mere 6,500 participants had
  • 00:21:48
    enrolled. And remember, that's the
  • 00:21:51
    program Republicans apparently modeled
  • 00:21:53
    their new Medicaid policy on. So, if
  • 00:21:55
    that's what's coming on a national
  • 00:21:56
    scale, that is terrifying. As
  • 00:21:59
    one source put it to us, the term people
  • 00:22:02
    use is work requirements, but that's a
  • 00:22:04
    misnomer. You should really think of it
  • 00:22:05
    as a paperwork requirement. And look, I
  • 00:22:08
    would say that eligible people losing
  • 00:22:10
    coverage is an unintended consequence.
  • 00:22:13
    But I think it's the whole point here
  • 00:22:15
    because the vast majority of cost
  • 00:22:16
    savings that you're getting from
  • 00:22:18
    instituting something like a work
  • 00:22:19
    requirement don't come from kicking
  • 00:22:22
    people off Medicaid and SNAP who don't
  • 00:22:24
    qualify. They come from kicking off
  • 00:22:26
    people who do but who now can't get it
  • 00:22:29
    because of the burdens you've just put
  • 00:22:31
    in place. It's death by a thousand cuts.
  • 00:22:34
    And the true hypocrisy is it is not like
  • 00:22:36
    Republicans aren't up in arms about
  • 00:22:38
    administrative burdens in other
  • 00:22:40
    contexts. Because when it comes to
  • 00:22:42
    regulations on businesses, they just
  • 00:22:44
    never shut the up about it. I was
  • 00:22:47
    tired of hearing small businesses say we
  • 00:22:49
    can hardly make it because of the stack
  • 00:22:51
    of paper we have to fill out. Every hour
  • 00:22:53
    spent on paperwork is an hour not spent
  • 00:22:55
    on growing their business. This
  • 00:22:56
    paperwork and red tape will bury workers
  • 00:22:59
    and businesses trying to make a living.
  • 00:23:01
    Small businesses continuously list
  • 00:23:05
    Washington red tape and regulation as a
  • 00:23:10
    top issue keeping them from growing and
  • 00:23:14
    in too many cases simply surviving. You
  • 00:23:18
    know, it is pretty striking how
  • 00:23:20
    horrified Joanie Ern sounds at the idea
  • 00:23:23
    of businesses struggling to survive. But
  • 00:23:24
    when it comes to vulnerable human
  • 00:23:26
    beings, all of a sudden she's like, "You
  • 00:23:28
    know what? Grow up. Death happens. Worms
  • 00:23:31
    will eventually eat everything you love.
  • 00:23:33
    Someday a real rain's going to wash the
  • 00:23:34
    scum from these streets. Erns 2026.
  • 00:23:36
    We're all going to die.
  • 00:23:39
    And look, I get that red tape can be a
  • 00:23:42
    problem for businesses, but this is
  • 00:23:43
    medicine for the sick and food for the
  • 00:23:45
    hungry. The stakes are just higher. And
  • 00:23:48
    the burdens this bill is about to impose
  • 00:23:50
    won't just be kicking 29-year-old gamers
  • 00:23:53
    and Dr. Oz's imaginary basement
  • 00:23:54
    squatters off the rolls. They can impact
  • 00:23:57
    single moms, working people, and those
  • 00:23:59
    who fear that they would be dead without
  • 00:24:01
    assistance. Right now, Republicans are
  • 00:24:03
    trying to rush this bill through because
  • 00:24:05
    they know how toxic it is. It may have
  • 00:24:08
    even passed the Senate by the time you
  • 00:24:10
    are watching this. And while I know
  • 00:24:12
    there is a lot going on right now, it is
  • 00:24:14
    worth paying attention to this bill
  • 00:24:16
    because if it becomes law, we're going
  • 00:24:18
    to be looking back on it decades from
  • 00:24:20
    now the same way we look back at all the
  • 00:24:22
    destructive that Reagan did. And
  • 00:24:24
    when that happens, Republicans cannot
  • 00:24:26
    say they didn't know what was in it or
  • 00:24:28
    what it would do. Everyone who votes for
  • 00:24:31
    this should be held accountable. Or to
  • 00:24:33
    put it in terms that John Kennedy can
  • 00:24:35
    understand, if you're going to vote for
  • 00:24:37
    this bill, you better French kiss it.
  • 00:24:39
    Help. You might as well put its whole
  • 00:24:41
    in your mouth because you're going
  • 00:24:44
    to be married to it for the rest of your
  • 00:24:46
    life.
Tag
  • legislation
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  • Medicaid
  • SNAP
  • food assistance
  • Congress
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  • tax cuts
  • work requirements