Across the country, the fallout from Trump and Republicans’ big, ugly bill is already being felt, and the American people aren’t staying quiet. From rural Alaska to urban Pennsylvania, health care workers, local leaders, and everyday Americans are sounding the alarm over devastating Medicaid cuts, hospital closures, and the loss of essential services. The GOP bill makes the largest health care cuts in history, slashing Medicaid and dismantling the Affordable Care Act in order to fund tax breaks for big corporations and the wealthy. 17 million Americans will lose life-saving coverage, including seniors, children, veterans, people with disabilities, workers who don’t get insurance through their jobs, and people who take care of their children or elderly parents. The damage will be felt in every corner of the country as entire communities will be left behind.
ALASKA
Alaska Public Media: Alaskans Divided on Bargain Murkowski Struck on GOP Megabill
- “Meanwhile, Kosin said, thousands of Alaskans are going to lose Medicaid coverage and will be forced to use hospital emergency rooms — either for primary care at essentially the highest cost to Alaskans as a whole, or because they are in crisis for lack of primary care.”
Alaska’s News Source: ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Passes Congress With Alaska Delegation Support
- “Rep. Genevieve Mina, D-Anchorage, also found the vote disappointing. Now, she’s worried about what the future could hold. ‘It is so overwhelming that I haven’t even fully processed my feelings about it. I know that there are millions of Americans that are going to be impacted by losing their Medicaid or SNAP and these are the biggest healthcare cuts we’ve seen in recent American History.’”
Anchorage Daily News: Murkowski, Sullivan Sought to Insulate Alaska From the Harshest Impacts of the Budget Reconciliation Bill. Will It Be Enough?
- “‘When you pair that with the devastating policies of the federal reconciliation bill, I think the reality is that a lot of Alaskans are going to go hungry. Their SNAP benefits and Medicaid are going to be cut off. This agency cannot handle its most basic functions,’ he said.”
Anchorage Daily News: Letter to the Editor: Character and Conscience Lacking in Murkowski’s Vote
- “I am familiar with the social services and health care system in Alaska, as I was a physician there from 1991 to 1997 and served as president of the Alaska Medical Association for two years. There is no way what Sen. Murkowski did can be construed as good for Alaska or anyone else. Make no mistake. Alaskans will suffer severely as will every other state in the country.”
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Opinion: Shame of a Nation
- “Congress passed a law before they took the time to read it. The law snatches Medicaid and other benefits from the poor to give tax breaks to the wealthy. It costs far more than it saves. Mind you, the majority of our elected representatives won’t be hurt. They voted to relieve their own tax burdens and those of the people and corporations that can afford to support their campaigns instead of helping the majority of people they represent.”
Anchorage Daily News: Opinion: Thanks for the Rosy Outlook, Rep. Begich
- “The bottom line is that all of our congressional delegation voted for the BBB. All of them agreed to finance tax cuts for the rich with debt and cuts that hurt the most vulnerable in our society. And now all of them are trying to make us think that the BBB is good for us and the country. It is not.”
Anchorage Daily News: Opinion: I Know There Are Americans Who Are Not Going to Be Advantaged, but So What?
- “Twelve million adults and disabled children who lose their health insurance and the millions more who will become food insecure will be merely “not advantaged”? Lisa Murkowski you actually believe that?”
Cordova Times: Murkowski and Sullivan vote Yes on Bill
- “Aubrey Wieber, executive director of the 907 Initiative – an Alaska-based government watchdog entity – said passage of the bill as is would result in a fundamental economic shift with more benefits going to the richest Americans, while tearing apart financial safety nets for people most in need.”
ARIZONA
KJZZ: Arizona Communities Have Highest Rates of Adults Covered by Medicaid. They’re Bracing for Cuts
- “‘I think before you see hospitals out-and-out closing, you’re going to see a real scaling back of services that rural hospitals provide,’ Humble said, adding that prenatal care and labor and delivery services may be the first programs hospitals have to eliminate, meaning residents of rural areas will have to travel farther for that kind of care. Humble said he expects more uncompensated care at hospitals will raise health care costs for everyone, whether or not they are enrolled in AHCCCS.”
KTVW Univision Arizona: Congressman Greg Stanton, Advocates Discuss Medicaid Cuts in Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill
CALIFORNIA
Public News Service: CA Members of Congress Face Pressure to Reject Cuts to Medi-Cal
- “‘If they have to keep filing, even if they’re capable of doing it all, they’re going to fall into the cracks, because the system — that’s all online — has been stripped of humans, because they fired all those other people who could take it on the phone and talk them through it,’ Tushnet outlined.”
IOWA
Our QC News: Protesters deliver petition to Ernst, Miller-Meeks’ offices
- Dozens of protesters gathered in front of the offices of Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Sen. Joni Ernst in Davenport this morning to deliver petition signatures to the politicians, condemning them for voting in favor of the recent “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The bill includes major cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. Illinois State Senator Mike Halpin and Rep. Gregg Johnson
Collinsville Daily News: Constituents Call Out Rep. Miller-Meeks’ and Sen. Ernst’s Support to Cut Medicaid & SNAP in The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’
- Sue Dinsdale, Executive Director of Iowa Citizen Action Network, called out Rep. Miller-Meeks and Sen. Ernst directly: “Your constituents are hurting: Your vote for Trump’s Big Brutal Bill is a betrayal, plain and simple. It slashes Medicaid and food assistance. It punishes clean energy innovation and supercharges tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. It trades the promise of freedom and fairness for dependence on monopolies and billionaire donors—while sticking working families with the bill. This isn’t just policy. It is a betrayal. One we will have to live with every day. And we will remember…”
WQAD: Protesters deliver petitions to Miller-Meeks, Ernst offices following passage of Trump’s spending bill
- “16 million Americans are going to lose access to healthcare. Three million are going to lose their food assistance,” Anusha Thotakura, executive director of Citizen Action Illinois, said. “This was all done to give billionaires and large corporations tax breaks. We are here to say shame on Joni Ernst, shame on Mariannette Miller-Meeks.”
WHBF: Protesters deliver petition to Ernst, Miller-Meeks’ offices
- “Despite the hundreds of thousands of people across the country that have voiced their opposition, saying ‘Don’t take away my health care. Don’t take away my food assistance.’ members of Congress have ignored those concerns,”, said Anusha Thotakura, Executive Director of Citizen Action Illinois. “And so now we’re saying we did not give up, we’re not giving up. The fight is not over. This is about the long term effort to make sure that everyone has access to high quality, affordable health care.”
KCAU Sioux City: Organizations Deliver Petitions to Sen. Ernst & Rep. Miller-Meeks Offices
- Advocates around Iowa delivered a petition filled with signatures to Iowa Representative Marianette Miller-Meeks and Senator Joni Ernst’s offices. The petitions condemn Miller-Meeks and Ernst for voting in favor of Trump’s budget bill
Dispatch Argus: Democrats Hold Events Against Bill (full text viewable here)
- “It’s not beautiful. It’s ugly. It’s horrific. It’s un-American. It cuts funding for programs that are lifelines to families here in Illinois, including Medicaid and SNAP,” Sorensen said. “Nearly 90% of the families that take part in this center — nearly 90% — rely on Medicaid. More than half rely on SNAP. Cutting this funding, cutting these programs, is a downright assault on our own neighbors.”
QC Times: Democratic Lawmakers in Quad-Cities Hold Events Critical of Reconciliation Bill, Other Cuts (full text viewable here)
- “I don’t come over to Iowa very often to speak out on politics,” state Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, said. “… This is different. What Republicans in Congress are doing not only harms those on this side of the river in Iowa. Instead, men, women, and children all across the country and here in the Quad-Cities will be greatly harmed by this disaster of a budget.”
NEW HAMPSHIRE
WMUR: North Country Communities Worried About Health Care Cuts by ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
- “‘For us, it’s a $500,000 adverse impact, that’s significant,’ said Edward Shanshala of Ammonoosuc Community Health Services. ‘We are not hearing a lot in the popular press about the impact on the continuative care from assisted living to nursing home. There is some impact potentially on hospice and palliative care.’”
Patch: North Country Leaders Raise Alarm About Medicaid Cuts and the Future of Rural Health Care in New Hampshire
- “Raymond Bower, Administrator, Riverside Rest Home said ‘New Hampshire is a 50 percent state on Medicaid—we already pay the highest non-federal share. If Washington pulls funding, rural counties like mine have no cushion to fill the gap for our 100 percent-Medicaid nursing-home residents.’”
The Tip Sheet: North Country Leaders Raise Alarm About Medicaid Cuts and the Future of Rural Health Care in New Hampshire
- “Bob Tortorice, Veteran and Small-Business Owner said ‘Roughly one in ten veterans depends on Medicaid, but many won’t enroll because they simply don’t trust the system. Cuts will only deepen that mistrust and leave more vets without care.’”
Valley News: ‘Significantly at risk’ — Upper Valley health care providers warn that changes to Medicaid could reduce access to services
- “In Woodsville, Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, another FQHC, is bracing for the impact of Medicaid changes at the state and federal levels. The network announced in a news release last month that it would be closing its location in Franconia, N.H., later this year because of “inadequate financial support from both state and federal sources,” including cuts to Medicaid.”
PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive: Chris Coons Visits Central PA. As Dems Put Pressure on Scott Perry: ‘Cruelty Is the Point’
- “Most homecare workers don’t get health insurance from their employer, and an abrupt end to their ACA assistance means they would be ‘forced to stop working to care for people and go out and get a job that gives them healthcare, because I don’t know how they’re going to absorb that cost,’ said Julia Tilley, a union homecare worker.”
VIRGINIA
Black Virginia News: Trump Health Care Cuts and Rural Hospitals
- “On July 10, 2025, U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, Senator Ghazala Hashmi, Victor McKenzie, Executive Director of SAARA of Virginia and Dr. Larry Clark spoke out at a press conference on the impact of President Trump’s budget decisions on rural hospitals. The presser was hosted by Katie Baker, the Virginia State Director for Protect Our Care and co-sponsored by SEIU Virginia State Council. This podcast will feature Rep. McClellan, Senator Hashmi, Dr. Clark and McKenzie.”
FFX Now: Republican Statewide Nominees Decry ‘Socialist’ Opponents at Vienna Rally, Protest Objects to Potential Medicaid Cuts
- “‘My clients depend on Medicare and Medicaid subsidies, including for medical testing, transplants and surgeries,” said Joyce Rena Bumbray-Graves, a medical worker who said she has family members who are reliant on Medicare for support. ‘Medicaid is holding a lot of families together. They need to look around at the various people and see how much this is going to affect everyone.’”
WEST VIRGINIA
Charleston Gazette-Mail: WV Reps Behind Megabill Expected to Favor Wealthy Listed Many Millions in Assets
- “‘West Virginia’s Congressional Delegation did not fight for us; they just made life harder,’ West Virginians for Affordable Health Care executive director Ellen Allen said in a statement Thursday.‘For you. For me. And for generations to come … Don’t forget!’”
WV Metro News: Capito: Changes to Medicaid, SNAP about preservation
- West Virginians for Affordable Health Care Executive Director Ellen Allen wondered aloud during an appearance Tuesday on MetroNews Midday if the programs are in such bad shape why wait two years to make the changes. ‘If it was so great why didn’t we do that early on? If there was waste, abuse and fraud let’s get right on that,’ Allen said. ‘This is about paying for tax cuts for the wealthiest of Americans and paying for it with our health care.’”
Charleston Gazette-Mail: Opinion: Capito, Justice Betrayed West Virginia
- “Not only did they lay the groundwork to dismantle health care for hundreds of thousands of West Virginians, their vote will saddle and hamstring our sons, daughters and grandchildren with backbreaking debt that will make it all but impossible for us to reclaim these losses. This will have negative consequences for generations to come.”
Charleston Gazette-Mail: Opinion: A Big, Beautiful Mess Takes Us Backward
- “So, for me, this past July 4 week can only be described in one word: disheartening (with sickening a close second). Not only is our national forward momentum stalled, we are stepping backward. This will not stand.”
Charleston Gazette-Mail: Sharon Carte: A big, beautiful mess takes us backward
- “By 2026, we will no doubt see a proliferation of more expensive, highly subsidized plans (your tax dollars going to shareholders or someone’s crony insurance pals), and perhaps, a slew of ‘Swiss-cheese coverage’ plans, or cheaper catastrophic coverage only ones. So, for me, this past July 4 week can only be described in one word: disheartening (with sickening a close second). Not only is our natural forward momentum stalled, we are stepping backward. This will not stand.”