A new report from Innovating for the Public Good: R&D for Democracy (IFPG) reveals that millions of Americans are paying the price for President Trump’s recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
The legislation has been touted as a major fiscal achievement by President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers; however, there is mounting evidence that it represents the largest set of cuts to the nation’s safety net in modern history. It reduces funding for food assistance, health coverage, and cash aid. It is also creating new bureaucratic barriers that make it harder for people in need to access help.
The bill slashes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by 20 percent by 2034 and imposes stricter work and eligibility requirements. In Texas alone, 1.5 million families will lose some or all SNAP benefits, with 351,000 households facing average cuts of $83 per month. Medicaid faces over $1 trillion in reductions nationwide, with 1.67 million Texans expected to lose health insurance due to a $31 billion federal funding cut. Enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies will also expire in 2025, raising out-of-pocket costs by 75 percent on average and driving millions into the ranks of the uninsured.
For the people who will still qualify for the withered programs, accessing the benefits is increasingly difficult. The bill mandates in-person or phone interviews, longer applications, frequent recertification, and stricter work requirements for SNAP and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) recipients. These hurdles come as state agencies struggle with staff shortages, meaning that eligible families can lose support simply due to paperwork and waiting times.
The IFPG report highlights a troubling trend: Americans at the bottom fifth of earners will see their annual after-tax income fall by 2.3 percent, while the wealthiest enjoy an equivalent boost. Millions will face food insecurity and the loss of health coverage, not because of reduced need, but because of new barriers designed to keep help out of reach.
Guest:
Omar Parbhoo is the Chief Executive Officer of Innovating for the Public Good: R&D for Democracy, an organization that serves as an engine for civic innovation, advancing bold ideas from concept to adoption to build a more resilient democratic future.
Previously, Omar was the Managing Director of Civic Engagement at ideas42, where he leveraged behavioral science to promote inclusive and sustained voter participation across the United States. He is also the founder of VoterCast, a platform that equips local election officials with tools and content for effective, evidence-based voter outreach.
Before entering the civic space, Omar served as a Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of State, providing strategic guidance on post-conflict economic and democratic reforms.
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This episode will be recorded on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
