The Big Beautiful Bill: Hiding Cuts Behind the Cover of Wealth

K. Miles
Aug 1
4 min read

A torn American flag lies draped over broken steps outside the U.S. Capitol, symbolizing the collapse of public trust and the impact of government policies on marginalized communities. — The steps of the U.S. Capitol littered with debris and a tattered American flag — a stark visual metaphor for the fallout of policies that leave the most vulnerable behind.

When Trump’s administration passed what’s now dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill” on July 3rd, headlines focused on tax relief, deregulation, and a supposed boost to the economy. But for many Black and working-class Americans, this bill isn’t beautiful at all. It’s brutal.

Despite its polished name, the Big Beautiful Bill is a strategic play—designed to distract from the harsh economic reality it unleashes. Hidden behind corporate tax breaks and economic incentives for the rich are massive cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, housing support, and educational resources. It’s not a beauty bill. It’s an austerity plan dressed in designer branding.

THE SAME OLD SCRIPT

If it feels familiar, that’s because it is. Big Beautiful Bill is a remix of Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—except this time, the stakes are higher. In 2017, we saw how deep corporate cuts and deregulation widened the racial wealth gap. Black families received marginal relief, while billionaires ballooned their fortunes. Now in 2025, the repackaged version repeats the pattern—with even more aggressive slashes to social support systems.

What’s changed is the branding. Wrapped in slick messaging and buzzwords like “innovation” and “efficiency,” the bill attempts to mask austerity as reform. But communities of color have seen this movie before.

WHO REALLY BENEFITS?

At the core of the bill are sweeping tax cuts for corporations and the top 1%. These are the same beneficiaries who received the lion’s share of relief under Trump’s 2017 legislation. The difference now? The economic disparity is even wider.

Big Pharma, Big Oil, and Big Tech are all celebrating. Meanwhile, the communities that bore the brunt of the pandemic—Black, Brown, and low-income households—are left wondering what happened to the promises of recovery, equity, and reinvestment.

IMPACT ON HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SERVICES

The bill slashes funding to Medicaid and Medicare under the guise of “streamlining.” For millions of Black elders and disabled citizens, this means fewer services, longer waits, and more red tape.

Maternal health—already in crisis for Black women—is poised to suffer even more as prenatal programs and rural health centers face elimination. These aren't just line items. These are lives.

A housing advocate in Baltimore told ONETEN, “We’re seeing a 30% drop in available rental vouchers in our district. That’s not just numbers—that’s families without homes this winter.”

In Mississippi, where Medicaid expansion has long been stalled, community organizers are bracing for another wave of clinic closures. “We can’t afford to lose more ground,” said Tara D., a nurse practitioner in Jackson. “Our communities are always the first to be sacrificed.”

A TARGETED DISMANTLING

This isn’t about fiscal responsibility. It’s ideological warfare. The Big Beautiful Bill takes direct aim at the very structures that provided a safety net for those most impacted by COVID-19 and generational poverty. The cuts aren't accidental—they're strategic.

Programs like SNAP (food assistance), school lunch funding, and rental support are among the hardest hit. It's a reminder: In a system designed by the powerful, the powerless are always the first to pay.

In states like Texas and Florida, school meal programs for low-income students are already reporting funding shortages. In rural Georgia, three local Head Start centers are slated to close due to federal budget rollbacks tied to this bill.

THE MEDIA DISTRACTION

Mainstream media headlines championed the bill’s “economic stimulus” while burying the impact on Black and poor communities in the fine print.

Some headlines read:

“America’s Comeback Begins with the Big Beautiful Bill” – Wall Street Sentinel
“Trump Delivers Tax Reform 2.0” – The Capital Times

But what these stories failed to mention is who pays the price for these reforms. Soundbites outpaced substance. Again.

This is why Black-owned media must rise. If we don’t tell the full story, no one will.

WHY THIS MATTERS

And while the bill’s most devastating impact lands on Black and working-class families, it’s not exclusive to them. Many of the same rural, low-income, and conservative voters who supported Trump’s return are now facing the fallout. Cuts to Medicare, SNAP, and rural clinics don’t stop at blue state borders.

MAGA voters cheered the slogan, but voted against their own survival. When politics becomes theater, policies become weapons—and the audience always pays.

What makes this moment dangerous is not just what’s being cut—it’s how it’s being sold. Wrapped in optimism, masked by buzzwords, the Big Beauty Bill is quietly pulling the rug out from under the most vulnerable.

This bill isn’t just about money. It’s about priorities. And once again, America has made it clear who gets protected—and who gets left behind.

It’s a warning—and a call to action.

"They called it beautiful. We call it betrayal."

We must pressure local lawmakers. We must support journalism that speaks truth to power. And we must not let performative policy be mistaken for progress. Because silence has never saved us.

SIDEBAR: WHO’S HIT THE HARDEST?