Trump’s “Big Beautiful Betrayal”

Opinion and Commentary

Donald Trump’s latest attempt at legacy-building — his so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” — is nothing more than “Big Bullsh*t!”

It is fiscal malpractice masquerading as populist reform.

Given that national debt is now surging past $36 trillion, this reckless tax-and-spend atrocity threatens to push America off a fiscal cliff — and everyday Texans will be among the first to feel the fall.

Trump’s bill is projected to add nearly $4 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.

Trump and his gang of “derriere worshippers” call themselves the “biggest fiscal hawks” in Washington. Nothing could be further from the truth; but wait — no one ever accused Trump of telling the truth.

Worse Than Tax and Spend Democrats

He is now championing a piece of legislation that is more bloated and dangerous than his 2017 tax cuts, the pandemic CARES Act, and Biden’s stimulus combined.

Congratulations MAGA – you have outdone the “Tax and Spend Democrats!”

Keep this in mind the next time you vote for a Trump-worshiping candidate. The proposed Medicaid cuts — a staggering $792 billion, according to multiple media sources — threaten to strip 7.6 million Americans of their health insurance.

In Texas alone, an estimated 430,000 more people could be left uninsured, with the most devastating impact falling on our most vulnerable: children, seniors, and pregnant women.

Cruelty and Red Tape

These cuts don’t just reduce funding — they create cruel new barriers. Texans who still qualify for Medicaid would be forced to navigate a maze of red tape and burdensome paperwork just to access the care they need. And by banning the expansion of “provider taxes,” the bill chokes off a vital funding lifeline for our hospitals.

Without those Medicaid dollars, hospitals across Texas will struggle to keep their doors open for essential services — like labor and delivery for expectant mothers, and life-saving care for our elderly and our children.

This isn’t just a budget cut. It’s a direct blow to the health and dignity of millions of Texans.

Think about the following: one in three Texas children living in small towns and rural areas rely on Medicaid/CHIP for their health insurance.

So why is Medicaid such a hot issue?

It’s the money. The Medicaid program spends about $900 billion a year in state and federal funds, paying for close to one-fifth of health-care expenditures in the United States.

The program is the primary payer for almost two-thirds of nursing-home residents; many located in San Angelo and the surrounding West Texas area. ‘

The program funds just over 60 percent of long-term care.

Hurting Rural Nursing Homes

Like their urban counter parts, rural nursing homes are burdened by high operating and personnel costs. Plus, not many nurses and physicians are eager to move to rural areas far from the educational and cultural options that big cities offer.

This adds up to fewer health care options for rural Texans. Sadly, Texas is among one of the five states with the lowest-rated nursing homes.

The other states in this low ranked scale are Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and West Virginia.

This legislation abandons the very safety net meant to catch us all when we fall. We cannot allow our neighbors — or ourselves — to go hungry in one of the richest nations on Earth.

— Constance Truthe

Trump’s proposed legislation slashes $300 million from SNAP — the program formerly known as food stamps — putting the basic need for food out of reach for more than 800,000 Texans. That includes more than 683,000 Texans in families with children, and 123,000 older Texans, aged 55 to 64, who live alone and are already struggling to make ends meet.

These devastating cuts will force families to make impossible choices — between rent and groceries; between keeping the lights, on and putting food on the table.

And the damage doesn’t stop there. By shifting the cost of SNAP from the federal government to the states, this bill quietly dumps a crushing burden onto state budgets — threatening future access to food assistance for millions more.

People Will Go Hungry

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about numbers. It’s about real people going hungry. It’s about kids showing up to school too hungry to learn, working parents skipping meals so their children can eat, and low-income seniors choosing between medicine and dinner.

And yes — that could mean you, or someone you love, will be left without support when an unexpected job loss, illness, or crisis strikes.

This legislation abandons the very safety net meant to catch us all when we fall. We cannot allow our neighbors — or ourselves — to go hungry in one of the richest nations on Earth.

But enough about Texas. What does the Trump legislation mean to the USA? Here’s what it means – Moody’s already downgraded the U.S. credit rating. What can we expect when this debt bomb explodes? Rising interest rates will squeeze families trying to buy homes, kill job growth, and balloon our interest payments to $40 trillion over the next 30 years. That’s money not going to roads, schools, veterans, or infrastructure Texans desperately need. Kiss the American dream goodbye if Trump’s legislation passes!

Lies and Taxes

Meanwhile, Trump’s defenders have the gall to claim that not passing the bill would raise taxes. False! They rigged the provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed during Trump’s first term, to expire on December 31, 2025, unless Congress takes action to extend or modify them. They are now using this expiration date to justify further economic disaster for the country. Meanwhile, his anti-tax cronies hawk the lie that tax cuts miraculously pay for themselves.

But here’s the truth: You can’t cut revenue, blow up spending, and still call yourself a fiscal conservative. Trump’s legislation is not beautiful to the rank-and-file Texans and Americans. It’s a betrayal of conservative principles, of economic common sense, and of hardworking Americans.

Let’s sum this up West Texas style. Trump went to a terrorist-breeding country (remember 9/11!) in the Middle East. He got a huge plane and came home richer. Meanwhile, we got what we voted for – “Big Bullsh*t!”