H.R. 1 – A $2.8 Trillion Power Grab Masquerading as “Fiscal Responsibility

Republicans in Congress have passed H.R. 1—their first major bill of the 119th Congress—and it’s nothing short of a $2.8 trillion blueprint to gut healthcare, slash food assistance, roll back climate progress, and hand tax breaks to the ultra-rich. Branded as a “reconciliation bill,” this legislation is one of the most sweeping rollbacks of public investment in generations.

Let’s break it down.

💸 TAX CUTS FOR BILLIONAIRES – $1.9 TRILLION

• Extends Trump-era tax cuts for the wealthiest households and largest corporations, costing $1.9 trillion over the next decade.

• Capped State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions at $40,000—effectively raising taxes on middle-income families in blue states.

• Slashes IRS enforcement, making it easier for millionaires and corporations to dodge taxes, costing an estimated $200 billion in lost revenue.

🧠 Translation: If you’re a billionaire, this bill is a dream. If you’re a teacher, nurse, or small business owner—you’re footing the bill.

🏥 MEDICAID CUTS – $700 BILLION

• Imposes mandatory work requirements (80 hours/month) on Medicaid recipients aged 19–64.

• Requires six-month eligibility redeterminations, increasing bureaucratic barriers that could drop 10.9 million people from coverage.

• Slashes $700 billion in Medicaid funding over 10 years—putting rural hospitals and low-income clinics at risk of closure.

❌ Seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income working adults stand to lose the most.

🍎 SNAP (FOOD STAMPS) SLASHED – $220 BILLION

• Adds work requirements for able-bodied adults up to age 64 (currently capped at 49).

• Forces states to cover 75% of the costs when administrative errors happen—even if caused by outdated tech or federal guidelines.

• Cuts $220 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over a decade.

🛑 Less food on the table. More hoops for working families to jump through.

🎓 STUDENT LOANS CAPPED – $119 BILLION SAVED ON BORROWERS’ BACKS

• Halts any new debt cancellation measures.

• Caps graduate-level borrowing at $20,500/year and lifetime limits at $100K–$200K, depending on field.

• Limits lifetime borrowing to $257,500 total, even for medical and legal students.

📉 Instead of investing in future doctors, lawyers, and educators, this bill limits who gets to rise.

🌍 CLIMATE & CLEAN ENERGY CUTS – $600 BILLION

• Repeals over $600 billion in clean energy investments from the Inflation Reduction Act.

• Mandates quarterly oil and gas lease sales on federal land.

• Cancels incentives for electric vehicles, solar energy, and green manufacturing jobs.

🛢️ More oil rigs. Fewer solar jobs. A giant leap backward in the climate fight.

🧱 IMMIGRATION & BORDER ENFORCEMENT – $70 BILLION EXPANDED

• Appropriates $70 billion, including $46.5 billion for new border walls.

• Drastically increases detention space to deport up to 1 million people per year.

• Expands authority to militarize the southern border with drones and tactical forces.

🔍 A border strategy built on fear, not reform.

🛡️ DEFENSE SPENDING BOOST – $150 BILLION

• Adds $150 billion to defense spending over the next three years.

• Funds new unmanned weapons systems and AI-based surveillance tools.

🇺🇸 While America’s families face eviction and hunger, the defense contractors cash in.

📉 BOTTOM LINE: INCREASES THE FEDERAL DEBT BY $2.4–$2.8 TRILLION

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), H.R. 1 will add between $2.4 and $2.8 trillion to the national debt over 10 years. This, after Republicans used debt reduction as the justification for every social program cut.

✊🏾 Where Democrats Stand

We don’t believe in austerity for the poor and abundance for the rich. H.R. 1 is a stunning example of what happens when government is used as a weapon against the people it’s supposed to serve.

Instead of:

• Cutting healthcare and food aid…

• Capping student opportunity…

• Reversing climate progress…

We should be investing in working people, not punishing them.