As the midterm elections get closer, the damage from Republicans’ health care cuts is hitting families and communities hard, and it’s only getting worse. Donald Trump and Republicans slashed $1 trillion from Medicaid, threatening care for seniors, kids, people with disabilities, and moms, to bankroll tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. They also ripped away health care tax credits that hard-working families relied on for life-saving coverage. Now, people are being crushed by rising health care costs, states are scrambling to absorb billions in new costs, and rural communities are watching hospitals teeter on the brink.
And the clock is ticking. We are now 100 days away from Medicaid work requirements taking effect, jeopardizing coverage for millions of Americans because of paperwork and red tape. We warned exactly what Republicans’ health care cuts would mean, and as the midterms approach, that warning is becoming reality.
On the campaign trail, Republicans are being forced to reckon with the consequences of an agenda that is making life harder for the people they promised to help. In Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, the possible closure of Bon Secours Southampton Medical Center has put the repercussions of Republicans’ Medicaid cuts in the spotlight. In New York’s 17th Congressional District, over 588,000 people have lost the coverage they relied on to see a doctor despite Mike Lawler claiming the bill was “not a major cut.” Voters are feeling the impact of the GOP cuts, making health care costs a top concern according to KFF, and they overwhelmingly trust Democrats to solve the crisis. An NBC News poll this month found that on health care, voters trust Democrats over Republicans by 22 points while a New York Times-Siena College poll put the Democratic advantage at 24 points.
Every day, the issue of health care is only becoming more prominent in Americans’ lives, and Republicans are running out of ways to dodge responsibility for the damage they caused. The stories below show just how much worse things are getting.
New York Times: Trump’s Signature Tax Bill Is Starting to Bite Before the Election
- But personal experience is beginning to come into play. Some praise larger tax refunds and tax breaks that allowed them to take home more money earned from tips and overtime. But at a moment when the cost of living is rising faster than wages, many say the law has plunged Americans into financial uncertainty with the law’s cuts to programs that helped put food on the table and provide affordable health care.
The New Republic: Trump’s “Big, Beautiful” Bill Is About to Screw With States’ Budgets
- Historically, states and the federal government have shared SNAP administrative expenses equally. But with the start of the new fiscal year at the beginning of October, states will need to shoulder 75 percent of SNAP administration costs, while the federal government will lower its reimbursement to 25 percent. This change is expected to push nearly $17 billion onto states over five years.
NBC: Republican Candidates Highlight Healthcare in 2026, Battling Voter Distrust
- Healthcare is shaping up to be a vulnerability for the GOP in the 2026 midterm elections, when Democrats hope to capture the House and the Senate. According to this month’s NBC News poll, voters trust Democrats over Republicans on healthcare by 22 points. A New York Times-Siena College poll similarly found that likely voters preferred Democrats by 24 points on the issue.
Christian Science Monitor: ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Was Top GOP Achievement. Now It’s Campaign Fodder for Democrats.
- But there are signs that some of that political fallout is already happening. A Politico survey in July found that nearly 1 in 3 Americans say the law has made their financial situation worse, and a poll from the same month by the left-leaning Navigator Research found that nearly half say it is making their costs go up. The law is estimated to reduce federal Medicaid spending over the next decade by nearly $1 trillion, and a handful of rural clinics have already shut down, citing future cuts. Democrats say those closures, alongside spiking healthcare premiums, have given their candidates a strong issue to use against Republicans on the campaign trail.
The Fiscal Times: With Voters Focused on the Economy, Republicans Face Grim Outlook for Midterms
- Republicans had hoped that their policies, including the massive tax cut package they passed in 2025, would help them in the election, but few respondents in the CNN poll report that the changes in the tax law or the new federal savings accounts for newborns and children are benefiting them.
Vox: More Republicans Are Breaking From Trump. Is It Too Little, Too Late?
- But they are growing more common. And this isn’t just in the toughest blue territory — even Republicans in states or districts Trump won overwhelmingly are now rushing to emphasize how they don’t agree with the president on some of his most controversial and unpopular agenda items.
Washington Post: How the Fate of a Rural Hospital Could Help Flip the House
- Shutting the Bon Secours Southampton Medical Center would be a serious economic blow to this former paper mill town whose main employer closed years ago. Democrat Elaine Luria is trying to win back the House seat she once held by reminding residents that President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” will enact Medicaid cuts that could force the hospital out.
WAMU: Healthcare Affordability Is Shaping Competitive Races Ahead of the Midterm Elections
- Voters nationwide are facing some of the steepest increases in healthcare costs in decades. The issue is a top concern for some now heading to the ballot box, as in-person early voting begins Friday in Virginia.
Chicago Tribune: Cook County Leaders Warn of ‘Devastation’ With 100 Days to Go Before Medicaid Work Requirements Take Effect
- Cook County leaders and health officials sounded the alarm Wednesday, warning that only 100 days remained until major, new Medicaid requirements take effect – changes that they worry may lead to hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents losing coverage. “We’re 100 days away from some real devastation here,” said Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya at a news conference Wednesday.