Op-Ed: Asking ‘why’ on the details of the federal Reconciliation Bill

July 8, 2025  |  By Bill April

This bill has passed, even with 24 hours of proposed and rejected and some passed Senate amendments. It passed with a 50-to-50 tie and the Vice President added his vote. This bill has since passed the House once again and is on its way to the White House. 

This was a choice for the GOP Republicans: Do they vote for the best interest of their neighbors or expect Trump to send huge amounts of money to a contender of theirs in their next primary? The GOP chose to forget their neighbors and hope they will forget this episode.

17 million people will lose their Medicaid coverage. This is not rhetoric, this is fact. People who can keep it will have to work an extra job just to qualify never mind pay for it. Health centers and hospitals will close. What good will health insurance from Medicaid do when your local provider is not there?

This bill will hurt many Americans, mostly middle-class and poor. The Senate version was worse by many accounts than the House version, so it suffered more changes. Some items to note are:

Per Sen. Peter Welch: It will kick students off Pell grants and make applications even tougher; it will force hundreds of rural hospitals to close; it cuts SNAP (food stamps) assistance for millions of folks; it cuts many millions from Medicaid while imposing work requirements (many folks who work and have Medicaid will still have to work extra); it eliminates clean energy projects.

Per Sen. Elizabeth Warren: The parent company of Facebook and Instagram, META, will get a $15 billion check on the day this becomes law.

Per Congressional Budget Office: It will add at least $3.3 trillion to the national debt, so that even more of each dollar going to the federal government will go to paying off the debt and not services to us.

Per VoteVets: Former Vice Presidential candidate Tim Kaine proposed an amendment to prevent veterans working for us in the federal government from being fired. The GOP voted it down. Sen Tammy Duckworth offered one that would prevent veterans from losing food assistance -- the GOP voted it down. Other senators proposed efforts keep rural hospitals open, to help veterans defend against growing fraud and scams, to keep Medicaid specifically for families with children under 12 -- the GOP voted it down.

The GOP is preventing any state from passing any laws for 10 years to impede the growth of artificial intelligence. Why?

The GOP added in that if you make more than $5 million, then you will get a tax break of $340K. Why?

The GOP has added in a new tax break for coal. This after many mines have closed due to low market interest. Why?

The GOP has decreased the rates charged to the fossil fuel companies to use our land and water while closing and reducing the hours of many of the national parks. Why?

The GOP has repealed existing funding for electric school buses. This while they are just making a difference in eliminating the diesel exhaust fumes around schools. Why?

The GOP has repealed the recent tax breaks and incentives for electric vehicles and for projects to make our homes more energy efficient. With the increased pressures of climate change, we need more projects to keep our homes as a refuge. Why?

The GOP expects the states to pick up the cost of any funds that were cut that affect us locally such as Meals on Wheels and food pantries. The states cannot print money as the federal government can so where do we cut next?

All of the items above and more are listed in the Project 2025 GOP plan that Donald Trump claimed he had no knowledge of during the last campaign.

All while the millionaires and billionaires get huge tax breaks. Sadly enough, the states that are affected the most by cuts to funding are by far the GOP-led states. Why are they doing this to their own neighbors and our neighbors?

Every vote counts if we have another chance to vote. Don't waste it next time. We will NOT forget that Donald Trump’s threat (blackmail) means more to the GOP than the services to their neighbors. We will NOT forget!

Bill April lives in Waterbury.