CUTS IN THE “One Big Beautiful” RECONCILIATION BILL SIGNED INTO LAW ON JULY 4, 2025.

How the bill will affect Georgians

Medicaid and Healthcare: Approximately 310,000 Georgians are expected to lose healthcare coverage. The largest spending cut in the legislation is the cut to Medicaid: $1 trillion over the next ten years. “A major cut to Georgia Medicaid funding could come from decreasing the amount of extra money facilities like hospitals and nursing homes can draw down from special funding pools.” “Georgia’s biggest health insurance coverage loss would come not through Medicaid but through changes to the Affordable Care Act exchange, also known here as Georgia Access. About 1.5 million Georgians are currently insured through Georgia Access. By increasing the red tape for those people, the bill is expected to result in about 250,000 Georgians losing coverage, according to KFF.” “Extra pandemic-era ACA ‘enhanced’ subsidies are set to expire at the end of this year. Congress so far is allowing them to expire. As a result, the number of Georgians losing ACA coverage is expected to increase to 690,000, according to KFF.” [ajc.com] [kff.org]

Hunger: In 2024, about 13% of Georgians received food assistance known as SNAP. “SNAP is currently funded by the federal government, but the reconciliation bill requires states with a payment error rate above 6% to fund part of SNAP. Georgia has a very high payment error rate of 15.65%.” [ajc.com]

Green Energy Jobs: The final version of the bill gives about a year to companies to use the green energy tax credits passed during the Biden administration. This will give the approximately 82,000 Georgians working in green energy jobs a temporary break from worry about job loss. However, those jobs will be at risk when the tax credits expire.

Taxes: The bill gives taxpayers 65 and older an additional personal exemption of $6,000 (this is only in effect through 2028, at the end of which it expires). The same expiration applies to the lifting of taxes on tips. The largest chunk of the tax cuts go to taxpayers in the top 1 percent—about 20 percent of the cuts, or about $1.02 trillion over ten years. [itep.org] There are about 46,000 taxpayers in Georgia who earn at least $700,000 annually, placing them in the top 1 percent nationally. [axios.com]

Yes, the Bill affects Medicare: There is a 2010 law mandating cuts in Medicare in the case of a bill that causes a massive increase in the national debt, as this bill will, and those cuts are estimated to be about $500 billion (10 percent) over 2026-2034. [KFF.org]

Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE): ICE is now the largest federal law enforcement agency in terms of funding. Its budget is approximately $170 billion. [NPR.org] The funding for detention centers will go in part to expanding the D. Ray James Correctional Facility in Charlton County, Georgia, to make it part of the Folkston Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center, “making it the largest facility for processing illegal immigrants in the country.” [buddy.carter.house.gov]

Other Effects

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill will “increase deficits over the 2025‑2034 period by $3.4 trillion.” [cbo.gov] This will put a strain on interest rates for home buyers and other consumers. It is the largest deficit in history, even more than any caused by the costs of war or pandemic. It is about $10,000 per person.

The nonpartisan Georgia Budget & Policy Institute (GBPI) says the Bill is:

• “Providing tax cuts that benefit wealthy corporations and individuals, increasing the national deficit

• Cutting programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid by shifting costs to the state, imposing ineffective work requirements and limiting how states support crucial rural hospitals

• Providing a federal private school voucher that funnels public dollars into private entities, at a cost to the government that would likely run into the tens of billions and further increase the national deficit

• Incarcerating immigrants and depriving them of access to medical care and nutrition, negatively affecting Georgia SNAP participants admitted as a refugee or granted other humanitarian protections” [GBPI.org]

• “The cuts to Medicaid could leave 11.8 million more people without health insurance by 2034, breaking Mr. Trump's promise earlier this year that he would not “touch” the entitlement.” [NYTimes.com] Cuts to MEDICAID will affect the 35% of Georgia’s school-age children who depend on Medicaid for their healthcare needs. [GBPI.org]

Increase in the budget for ICE: ICE is now the largest federal law enforcement agency in terms of funding. Its budget is approximately $170 billion. [NPR.org] The funding for detention centers will go in part to expanding the D. Ray James Correctional Facility in Charlton County, Georgia, to make it part of the Folkston Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center, “making it the largest facility for processing illegal immigrants in the country.” [buddy.carter.house.gov]

About those tax cuts:

• Instead of investing in the foundations of a strong economy—like housing, healthcare, and education—the Bill advances a tax and budget plan that rewards billionaires and corporations with massive tax giveaways, making the tax cuts for the wealthy from Trump’s first term permanent and leaving us with huge deficits for the coming decade. The plan hands $1.4 trillion in tax cuts to the top 1%. [cbpp.org] [itep.org]

SEIZURE OF PEOPLE IN US CARRIED OUT WITHOUT DUE PROCESS

The Roberts Court has ruled unanimously that the Trump administration must comply with a lower court ruling to facilitate the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who was seized and sent to a prison in El Salvador without a hearing and, according to administration testimony, in error. [factcheck.org]

In the following 24 Georgia counties, the sheriff’s department has agreed to coordinate with ICE [ajc.com]:

• Bibb County

• Burke County

• Catoosa County

• Columbia County

• Coweta County

• Dade County

• Dawson County

• Decatur County

• Floyd County

• Forsyth County

• Glynn County

• Hall County

• Harris County

• Jasper County

• Lumpkin County

• Madison County

• Monroe County

• Morgan County

• Oconee County

• Pierce County

• Polk County

• Tift County

• Walker County

• Whitfield County

FOOD INSECURITY IN GEORGIA

15.3% of people in northeast Georgia experience food insecurity. 75% of food bank recipients are working people. Every county in northeast Georgia has food insecurity. About $1 billion in federal aid to anti-hunger groups was cut earlier this year. [feedAmerica.org]

FUTURE US ECONOMIC SECURITY

Even the notoriously conservative Wall Street Journal editorial page is predicting dire results for the future of the once healthy US economy (just four months ago the forecast was rosy) as the stock market rises and falls, the bond market weakens, and the dollar’s value declines. [wallstreetjournal.com] The forecast for inflation as of July 15th is an increase to 2.7%. [nytimes.com]

CANCER RESEARCH

“[C]ancer centers have struggled to fund new discovery projects in precision therapy, quality of life, and artificial intelligence for diseases such as prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and brain tumors,” the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) wrote in a statement. “Innovative statewide cancer clinical trial programs, such as one in North Carolina, are now on hold.” “Cancer research is stalling — labs are in limbo, grants are frozen, and the development of life-saving treatments is delayed,” agreed Olivier Elemento, PhD, director of the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, New York. [cancertherapyadvisor.com]

VETERANS

“The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning a reorganization that includes cutting over 80,000 jobs from the sprawling agency that provides health care and other services for millions of veterans.” There are approximately 607,500 veterans residing in Georgia. [apnews.com] [usafacts.org]

FUNDING FOR CLEAN AIR, WATER, ETC.

“Proposed EPA Budget Slashes Support for State Environmental Programs” State environmental programs rely on federal funding for an average of 27% of their budgets. The president’s proposed EPA budget cuts $1.4 billion from money going to the states, which will have to make up the difference or suffer deterioration of their environmental quality For example, in Georgia, the proposed budget would cut 65% of Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water grants, or $137,530,900. [environmentalprotectionnetwork.org]

SCHOOL FOOD & GEORGIA FARMERS

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has canceled more than $1 billion for schools and child care facilities to purchase fresh food from nearby farms and ranches, it was reported March 10th. Georgia was one of 40 states participating in the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. State School Superintendent Richard Woods, a Republican, said the funds would “allow our school nutrition programs to provide more Georgia foods for Georgia’s students.” Last year, the Georgia Department of Education reported that a pilot project helped more than 80 county school districts buy Georgia Grown products for school meals for about 900,000 students. [politico.com] [atlantajournalconstitution.com]

GEORGIA HEALTH DEPARTMENT

The Georgia Department of Public Health, along with all 50 State Health Departments, has lost federal funds from CDC, SAMHSA, and other HHS agencies to the tune of $11 billion collectively.  The Republican leadership in Georgia does not report or publicize the losses of federal funds and federal workers, despite (or perhaps) the effect that has on Georgia's economy.  [11alive.com]

It sounds like the Georgia Dept.of Public Health lost $334.2 million dollars in federa; funding.  That is almost the same amount as they get from the State of Georgia ($435 million), which is typical of most State Health departments.

ECONOMY

The Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank maintains a running forecast of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product called GDPNow, which reflects the current state of the economy. When the tariffs went into effect on March 4, the GDPNow estimated a first quarter decline of 2.8%. A decline of this size, if continuing, would lead to a recession. Yale’s Budget Lab estimates that the tariffs will cost the average household $1,600 to $2,000 a year. [barrons.com] [budgetlab.yale.edu]

EDUCATION

The president wants to create an executive order to abolish the U.S. Department of Education. “The Department of Education’s a big con job,” he told reporters last month. During the 2020-2021 school year, federal funding provided approximately 16% ($4.4 billion) of total school funding for Georgia’s K-12 public schools. “Diminishing the department could have profound effects in Georgia and other states. It budgeted $18.6 billion in Title I funds to schools in high-poverty areas for the 2025 fiscal year. It also budgets $15.7 billion for programs that support students with special needs. It provides student aid for colleges and universities, including Pell Grants. Trump has talked about giving more authority over education to state governments.” [educationdata.org] [nbcnews.com] [ajc.com]

FARMERS and USAID

Cuts to USAID meant Georgia farmers lost contracts worth $80 million in 2025 alone. [CNN]

HEALTHCARE & CHILDREN

Cuts to MEDICAID will affect the 35% of Georgia’s school-age children who depend on Medicaid for their healthcare needs. [GBPI.org]

HEALTH

As of April 1st, 2,400 staff members of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in Atlanta have been dismissed in the Reduction in Force (RIF). That doesn’t include approximately 1,300 “probationary” workers who were fired in February but are supposed to be rehired as per a federal court decision. This will lead to reduced capacity to respond to disease outbreaks and will strain the CDC’s ability to respond to emergencies. [fox5Atlanta.com] [statnews.com]

SOCIAL SECURITY

Almost 2 million Georgia residents (retired workers, disabled workers, and survivors) receive Social Security benefits. DOGE has proposed cutting the workforce of the Social Security Administration by at least 7,000 (and possibly 50% eventually), and closing many offices, including five in Georgia. This will greatly increase waiting times on phone calls and make it difficult for recipients to get help. In GA Congressional House District 10, there are 155,277 beneficiaries relying on Social Security. In addition, unelected billionaire Elon Musk, who wields power in DOGE, has stated falsely that Social Security is a “Ponzi Scheme.” “Martin O’Malley, a former commissioner of the agency, has warned that the workforce reductions that DOGE is seeking at Social Security could trigger ‘system collapse and an interruption of benefits’ within the next one to three months.” [theatlantic.com] [ssa.gov] [wrdw.com]

PRIVACY

DOGE staffers have access to Americans’ sensitive financial and health data through records in the Social Security Administration, Medicare, and the IRS. These staffers have little or no government experience and their work is being done without oversight. Some of the staff members have known ties to racist or Russian organizations. [thenationallaw review.org] [NYTimes.com]

FARMERS & HEALTH

Cuts to the CDC have decimated research on Bird Flu, which strikes chicken and egg producers. The CD10 counties of Oglethorpe, Jackson, and Madison are Georgia’s top producers of eggs and also produce large quantities of broilers. [WUGA.org] [georgiaencyclopedia.org]