Newark, NJ: New Jersey Citizen Action Healthcare Program Director, Laura Waddell, today expressed anger over the passage of the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” despite months of relentless opposition. In a press statement, she said:
“It is a devastating blow to the millions of Americans who rely on affordable health care, food assistance, and other essential services to survive. Despite months of hearing from all across New Jersey’s health care system, including patients, providers, hospitals, insurers, nursing homes, frontline workers, and schools, about the devastating impact of this bill’s inhumane cuts to Medicaid, ACA, and Medicare, our federal Republican lawmakers chose to ignore them. They disregarded not only the pleas of health experts but also the opposition from our Governor, Legislature, the public and towns and counties statewide, putting party over people.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies delayed the vote with his more than 8 hours long debate, and he described the floor of the House as the scene of a crime and so will I. Every legislator in Washington D.C. who voted “YES” is complicit.
Congressmen Tom Kean Jr., Jeff Van Drew, and Chris Smith could have sided with the American people but instead they chose to side with President Trump and MAGA extremists and fell in line with a political agenda that will harm the very people they were elected to serve.
Now, New Jersey will see nearly $4 billion in cuts to NJ FamilyCare/Medicaid causing over 350,000 to lose health coverage, $500 million in cuts to ACA tax credits causing a 110% premium increase for over 450,000 GetCoveredNJ/ACA Marketplace enrollees, and NJ will have to pay a minimum of 5% to cover the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and an additional $100 million in administrative costs.
We will also see devastating cuts to education in our state that will harm our low income and special needs students. And an egregious increase in funding ICE and mass deportation will cause irreparable harm to our communities.
There is nothing fiscally responsible about passing a budget that creates a $5 trillion deficit just to give $4.5 trillion in tax breaks to billionaires who don’t need it. This bill will create a catastrophic healthcare crisis and economic hardship upon working families, seniors, and vulnerable low- and- middle- income communities.
Residents will not forget this come the 2026 mid-term elections. We will ensure voters know exactly what is in this bill and who was responsible for stripping away their healthcare and economic security and to fight back by making their voices heard at the ballot box.”