Before the Senate sprints into recess, it’s pushing through a bill that slashes Medicaid, guts Medicare, risks veteran care, and rewards the ultra-wealthy. Here’s what it means for you.
By Ben Cable (Originally Posted on Substack)
While Americans watch news on the bombings in Iran, plan fireworks and BBQs, the Senate is quietly prepping its own explosive surprise: a rushed, sweeping, high-stakes budget bill that could impact your healthcare, your retirement, your community, and your future.
They’re calling it a “budget fix.” Let’s call it what it is: The Big Brutal Budget Bill.
1. Medicaid Cuts: Healthcare on the Chopping Block
Cause: To slash spending and fund tax breaks, the bill cuts Medicaid by hundreds of billions, adds strict work requirements, and caps state spending.
Effects:
- Over 10 million people could lose coverage, including children, seniors in nursing homes, and people with disabilities.
- Rural hospitals may shut down due to a loss of revenue.
- States can be devastated by the cuts, such as West Virginia, as reported in The Washington Post this morning.
- Parents could be dropped from coverage simply for missing paperwork or caregiving.
Why It Matters to You:
- Seniors: Lose long-term care support.
- Parents: Face interruptions in coverage.
- Young adults: May be priced out of care.
- Entire communities: Will bear the cost in emergency rooms and higher premiums.
2. Medicare Freezes: Fewer Doctors, Longer Waits
Cause: The bill delays Medicare payment increases and lets a 2.8% physician cut stand.
Effects:
- More doctors may stop accepting Medicare.
- Seniors face longer waits and fewer specialists.
- Providers in rural areas could disappear entirely.
Why It Matters:
- Boomers and retirees may lose access.
- Gen X caregivers scramble to help aging parents.
- Future generations inherit a broken safety net.
3. Drug Prices: The Illusion of Reform
Cause: The bill offers a watered-down version of drug negotiation, mostly symbolic.
Effects:
- A handful of drugs might drop in cost for Medicare recipients.
- The majority of Americans, including those with insurance, those without insurance, and those underinsured, will still pay top dollar.
- No out-of-pocket caps for non-Medicare users.
Why It Matters:
- Seniors still skip medications due to cost.
- Working families burn through savings on insulin or ADHD meds.
- Gen Z is coming of age in a system where medicine is a luxury item.
4. Veterans & Federal Workers: Collateral Damage
Cause: Cuts to healthcare programs veterans rely on (like Medicaid and Medicare), plus hits to civil service protections.
Effects:
- Veterans may lose coverage or face longer waits.
- Federal workers and retirees could face taxed benefits and weaker job protections.
Why It Matters:
- Veterans of all ages deserve more, not less.
- Public servants get fewer guarantees and face a shrinking safety net.
5. Health Subsidies & ACA Rollbacks
Cause: The bill rolls back key provisions of the Affordable Care Act.
Effects:
- Premiums spike for people buying their own insurance.
- Fewer subsidies mean fewer people can afford care.
- Increases pressure on emergency services.
Why It Matters:
- Gig workers and freelancers lose access.
- Young adults may go uninsured.
- Middle-class families face higher bills for worse coverage.
6. Tax Cuts for the Wealthy, Debt for the Rest
Cause: The bill extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and adds new corporate loopholes.
Effects:
- Adds over $2.4 trillion in debt.
- Sets the stage for future cuts to Social Security, education, and infrastructure.
- Expands inequality across generations.
Why It Matters:
- Gen Z and Millennials inherit massive debt and fewer services.
- Boomers and Gen Xers may see their earned benefits shrink.
- Everyone else pays the price while the ultra-wealthy reap the rewards.
Why the Rush Before July 4th?
Because they don’t want you to see it coming.
The Senate is pushing this through now, in the dead zone between prime-time news and Fourth of July parades. There are no hearings, no public debate, and no media blitz.
It’s intentional. It’s strategic. And it’s dangerous.
What to Watch This Week
- Will moderates like Josh Hawley, Susan Collins, or J.D. Vance defect?
- Will Medicare drug negotiations survive legal scrutiny?
- Will amendments soften the blow — or sharpen it?
Bottom Line
This isn’t just a budget. It’s a generational assault on American healthcare, equity, and stability.
If passed:
✅ 10+ million people lose Medicaid
✅ Doctors abandon Medicare
✅ Drug prices stay sky-high
✅ Veterans and federal workers are shortchanged
✅ Wealthy elites get a windfall
✅ You, your parents, your kids, and your grandkids pay the price
This is not theoretical. It’s already happening. And it could be law within days.
What You Can Do Right Now
Call Your Senators
If you’re in Arizona, Ohio, West Virginia, or Maine, they need to hear from you today.
Talk to Your Community
Most people still don’t know what’s in this bill. Share this post. Start a conversation.
Post, Write, Act
Tweet. Post. Comment. Write your local paper. Show up at town halls. Be loud.
Share this post. The clock is ticking.
Before the Fireworks
Ask yourself this:
Are we celebrating freedom, or watching it vanish in a Senate vote behind closed doors?
Let’s stay awake. Let’s speak up.
Let’s remind them: We the People are still watching.
-Citizen Ben
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