The “Big beautiful bill”, officially known as the “Big Beautiful Act”, is a major piece of legislation passed by congress in July 2025. It is a major tax and spending law that achieves a number of actions which shifts the money and power toward the wealthy while destroying support for people who need it the most.
What does the bill really do? And who does it hurt?
Behind this flashy name, the bill gives permanent tax cuts to the rich while middle class and lower-income families see little or no benefit at all. In order to pay for tax cuts this bill completely destroys funding from Medicaid (healthcare for low income people), SNAP (food assistance), and clean energy programs. On top of that, the wealthy corporations benefit from a permanent corporate tax cut from 35% to 21%, which means billions more dollars stay in the hands of CEOs instead of communities. According to npr.org the bill is expected to add trillions of dollars to the national debt over the next decade which will make it incredibly hard to fund essential public services in the future.
These cuts affect working class, disabled, elderly, and poor Americans the hardest which ultimately deepens the divide between the rich and poor. By adding on these huge benefits to the rich while cutting social programs it will make it harder for working families to climb out of poverty or afford basic needs.
Instead of shutting down programs that help vulnerable Americans, Congress could focus on fair taxation which would make the wealthy pay their share. This would invest in affordable healthcare, education, and green energy.