In a tightly contested decision, the U.S. Senate has approved a revised version of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a pivotal budget bill that extends tax cuts from 2017 and curtails funding for programs like Medicaid and SNAP. This decision has sparked debate in Wisconsin, where reactions have been polarized.
The bill passed by a single vote, 51-50, with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, initially a critic of the bill’s spending measures, shifted his stance to support the legislation, citing a commitment from President Trump to address federal spending reductions.
Democrats, including Wisconsin’s U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, have voiced strong opposition. Baldwin criticized the bill for favoring the wealthy at the expense of working families, stating, “I’m disgusted with the budget language…This fight isn’t over.”
An analysis by the American Hospital Association highlights potential impacts, estimating more than 30,000 Wisconsinites might lose Medicaid coverage, with rural hospitals facing a $607 million loss.
Senator Johnson emphasized the importance of the bill in preventing a “$4 trillion automatic tax increase” and averting debt default, blaming previous administrations for escalating the deficit. He stated the legislation is a preliminary step toward a larger effort to cut federal expenditures back to pre-pandemic levels.
Despite the Senate’s approval, the House of Representatives must vote again due to changes made in the Senate version. President Trump has expressed his desire to sign the bill by July 4.
According to a report from The New York Times, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill could increase the national debt by at least $3.3 trillion.
Wisconsin House Members React
Responses from Wisconsin’s eight U.S. House members have varied. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a Republican, simply congratulated his Senate colleagues, while Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore criticized the bill’s severe Medicaid cuts and debt implications in a social media post.
Moore’s post read: “TRILLIONS of cuts to Medicaid. MILLIONS of people losing health coverage. TRILLIONS added to the debt. All to lavish more on the wealthiest among us.”
Rep. Mark Pocan used the occasion to engage in a social media exchange with Van Orden and conducted a survey mocking the bill’s Senate version.
