Weaponizing Policy: Analyzing the Onslaught of Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" on America's Most Vulnerable Populations

Is America experiencing "Black fatigue?" Though White America has nonetheless stolen and appropriated this phrase to combat its original usage—a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion commonly experienced by Black people due to systemic and overt racism—the question applies in both respects.

Donald Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" is yet another instance and rather, expression of "Black fatigue," as it negatively impacts vulnerable, low-income families in its aim to reduce social welfare in America. While some praise the bill as a powerful legislative move toward economic growth, the bill's proposal has sparked significant concerns about increasing the burden on individuals and communities considered at risk.

Understanding the "Big, Beautiful Bill"

The massive tax-and-spending-bill, coined by Trump as “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” presented itself as a transformative measure to improve various sectors of American life. Its aims are to improve healthcare by repealing and reforming the Affordable Care Act, taxation by providing tax cuts to the American people (largely benefiting wealthier individuals), immigration reform and border wall infrastructure to eradicate illegal immigration. Despite its ambitions, promising economic growth and national improvement, many clauses reveal detrimental effects for low-income individuals and families receiving government assistance. 

The bill features an astonishing reduction of approximately $863 billion to $930 billion in Medicaid funding over the next decade, alongside $230 billion to $295 billion in cuts to SNAP food assistance over the next nine years. Combined, these reductions amount to over $1 trillion, signaling a significant shift in federal priorities and a reallocation of federal resources. In addition, the bill extracts approximately $391 billion from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) which provides food for over 13 million children and $1 million from free school meals and food bank programs.

Who the "Big, Beautiful Bill" Affects

Black and Latino families are overrepresented among SNAP and Medicaid recipients, often due to systemic wage gaps, a lack of access to private health insurance, and higher rates of unemployment. Black and Latino families who occupy the “low-income” rung are significantly impacted by the reduction in assistance and expected to recover from the loss by an expansion of tax breaks. According to WhiteHouse.gov, new tax breaks will result in “bigger paychecks,” an increase of the net income up to $10,000 for an average working family. The extent to which these tax benefits will compensate for the loss of direct aid remains eerie, particularly for households that rely heavily on safety-net programs. 

In terms of Child Tax Credit, the bill raises the maximum from $2,000 to $2,200, but does not increase the refundable portion so low-income families who owe little to no federal income tax do not benefit. Due to this lack of tax liability, approximately 17 million children are unable to access the full credit.

What places doubt in the legitimacy of the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” is it’s demand for work requirements and strict eligibility, leading to an increase in massive voluntary and involuntary disenrollment. According to CNN, Medicaid recipients are required to demonstrate that they are working at least 80 hours per month or participating in an approved job training program or an accredited educational course to maintain their health coverage, regardless of the barriers they may be facing. The bill also mandates that states conduct more frequent eligibility checks, authorizing the termination of benefits for individuals who fail to adhere to paperwork deadlines or fail to update income changes, even if they still qualify for the program’s requirements. 

Challenging the Bill’s Legitimacy Towards an America Made “Great Again”

While the bill’s language may appear race-neutral insisting “tax-breaks for all,” it dismantles programs rooted in Civil Rights-era reforms, disguising systemic racism behind fiscal reform. Tracing back history to strict and discriminatory welfare policies of the 1960’s, this bill further stigmatizes assistance, reinforcing racial narratives about “deservingness” and “dependency.” America’s experience of “Black fatigue” with the mythical “Welfare Queen,” an enduring stereotype propagated during Raegan’s administration depicting Black women as exploiters of public aid, has met an unforeseen, yet predictable end. Amid rising health disparities, food insecurity, and financial instability, vulnerable populations must withstand the onslaught.