Discussing President Donald Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’

President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” is in the U.S. Senate after passing the House by a single vote last week. The bill cuts Medicaid spending by implementing a strict work requirement, directs more funds to the military and immigration enforcement, and provides Americans with a roughly $4 trillion tax cut. 

Trump’s backers say the legislation is another example of the president delivering on campaign promises – no taxes on tips, incentives to build factories, tax hikes on universities and ending much of the clean energy investment in former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. 

But the bill also has opposition across party lines. GOP deficit hawks argue it will increase the country’s ballooning deficit, to a tune of $3.3 trillion over ten years, and say the cuts do not go far enough. Some other Republicans are concerned about proposed cuts to Medicaid, a piece Democrats hit hard in their party messaging.

On this episode of Studio 2, we break down this sweeping budget bill and how it could impact our region. 

Guests:

Conor Lamb, a former Democratic congressman from Western Pennsylvania

Guy Ciarrocchi, senior fellow at the Commonwealth Foundation