BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The House of Representatives has passed the controversial "Big Beautiful Bill" by a narrow margin of 218-214 after months of heated debate. Advocates claim the bill will provide economic relief to the working class, while opponents argue it will cut necessary resources for low-income Americans.
Over the last several months, several protests regarding Medicaid coverage under the new spending package, with concerns about how the bill could strip coverage from many Kern County residents.
"We are actually looking at the largest cut to the Medicaid program in its 60-year history, the non-partisan congressional budget office estimated that it is a cut to the magnitude of $1 trillion dollars, those types of cuts have huge ripple effects," Natasha Murphy said.
Murphy serves as Director of Health Policy for Centers for American Progress, a non-profit non-partisan think tank based out of Washington D.C.
In a statement from a Kern Family Health Care spokesperson, they noted that a $1 trillion dollar cut is expected over the next decade, and "While the full effects of this legislation are still unfolding, thousands of Medi-Cal beneficiaries may lose eligibility, and vital funding for local safety-net providers may be at risk."
According to Community Action Partnership of Kern County (CAPK), a non-profit that offers services to low-income residents including food assistance and energy assistance, the bill may not hit the non-profit directly, but projected cuts to programs like Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other federal assistance programs could strain residents' wallets across Kern County.
Savannah Oates, PR and Advocacy Manager for CAPK, explained that this financial strain is likely to increase demand for their services, which have already seen a rise in requests for assistance.
"When you remove one, or you shorten it, you're going to feel it all the way down to the bottom, which again, is our food banks, which is our Head Start programs asking for more assistance at home, our utility assistance program may see a big increase in asks for there, because they're going to be pivoting their funding from one bill that they're used to paying," Oates said.
While the "Big Beautiful Bill" has made its way through Congress, it still needs to head to the president's desk to be signed into law. President Trump is expected to sign it in conjunction with 4th of July ceremonies on Friday.
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