Dear Reader,
As the attacks on #HigherEd are continuing, we must remain active and engaged. One way is to reach out to your U.S. Representative today to urge they not support the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”. The Big Beautiful Bill Act has been reported to have detrimental impacts on our most vulnerable populations:
Strict Work Requirements and Intentional Bureaucratic Hurdles:
The bill imposes new "community engagement" requirements: able-bodied adults aged 19–64 must work, study, or perform community service for at least 80 hours per month to remain eligible for Medicaid
States would not be able to waive the “community engagement” requirements. Eligibility checks would become more frequent (every six months instead of annually).
Massive Cuts to Medicaid, which will be felt by these (and other) communities:
Low-income families and children
Elderly individuals in nursing homes
Economic Domino Effects
Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP (food assistance) will not only hurt SNAP recipients, but experts predict it will have broader economic impacts.
As noted by this advisory sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), “The bill, which is expected to receive a floor vote in the U.S. House of Representatives as soon as this Friday, May 23, includes sweeping policy changes that would negatively impact the students you serve and the financial sustainability of your institution.”As drafted, the bill would have sweeping impacts on medicare, and other social services. Specific to state higher education, the BBBA would:
1) Shrink federal investment in student financial aid and support services by limiting access to Pell Grants for part-time students
2) Penalize colleges and universities through an imbalanced and disproportionally unfair new risk-sharing model, ultimately disincentivizing institutions to serve nontraditional, part-time, and lower-income students
3) Jeopardize healthcare access for 3.4 million college students who rely on Medicaid, creating additional strain on state budgets and increasing the risk of further cuts to state funding for public higher education
If you have never called or contacted your U.S. Representative, the template that is being provided by the AASCU populates the name of your Representative based on your street address, which makes connecting with your Rep. easy. I would recommend that you take full advantage of the section of the form that allows you to tell a story from your own experience that may stand out and be quite compelling. Remember, staff do read these correspondences, and a strong narrative will stand out.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” isn’t beautiful at all—it’s a big hit that threatens to undermine the very fabric of care and support in our country.