AANHPI civil rights advocates lambast big, ugly bill signed by Trump

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ANALYSIS

Donald Trump's major legislation signed July 4th was called the "One Big, Beautiful Bill," is really quite ugly for the average American. A closer look reveals the warts and blemishes in the new law that will affect Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

“President Trump and Congressional Republicans just rammed through one of the worst pieces of legislation in American history," said Rep. Grace Meng, D-NY, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

"This nightmare of a bill kicks 17 million people off their health insurance, takes food away from 45 million Americans—including children, seniors, and veterans—and explodes the national debt by $4 trillion, all to fund tax cuts for billionaires.," Meng said.

“These devastating cuts will be felt in every corner of the country, including in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities," she continued. "More than 4.5 million AANHPIs rely on Medicaid for healthcare. One in four Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders depend on SNAP to feed their families. This bill puts their lives at risk just so billionaires like Elon Musk can make more money."

With the exception of Rep. Young Kim, R-CA, all AANHPI members of Congress voted against Trump's signature legislation that will impact the lives of almost all Americans.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a network of four independent Asian American civil rights organizations, issues the following statement: 

“When the House initially passed the Reconciliation Bill in May, we were appalled by the harm it would cause to immigrant communities, including Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs). We are again equally outraged by their final approval, stated Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a network of four independent Asian American civil rights organizations.

"This legislation prioritizes harmful immigration crackdowns at the expense of the urgent needs of everyday Americans. If enacted, this bill will gut vital programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and student financial aid, stripping resources from vulnerable communities," said the AAAJ statement.

New York's Rep. Grace Meng calls the Donald Trump legislation, a "betrayal."

The legislation's provisions are particularly detrimental for the over 2.3 million AANHPIs with low incomes:

• The bill will negatively affect SNAP recipients, including more than 1 million Asian Americans and 128,000+ Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders currently receiving SNAP benefits, putting them at a higher risk of food insecurity.

• An estimated 16 million people, including many AANHPIs, will lose health insurance. Currently, 17% of Asian Americans rely on Medicaid, and 1 in 4 AANHPI children will lose access to health insurance with the elimination of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

• The bill’s Pell Grant and loan cap decreases will hamper AANHPI access to higher education. Currently, 47% of Asian American students receive federal financial aid assistance to pursue higher education.

Overall, the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill is not so beautiful for the average American.

According to a Tax Policy Center analysis, the top 20% of earners (those making $217,000 or more) would receive an average tax cut of $12,500, representing 3.4% of their after-tax income. By contrast, the lowest-income households (earning about $35,000 or less) would receive an average tax cut of only $150, less than 1% of their after-tax income.

In essence, the "One Big Beautiful Bill" appears to be designed to further enrich the wealthy through a combination of permanent tax cuts, increased estate tax exemptions, and business tax breaks.

In addition, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill will increase the deficit by roughly $2.5 trillion to $3.9 trillion over the next decade, not including interest costs.

“Every single Republican who voted to take food away from children, to rip health care away from seniors, and to sell out working families for billionaires should be ashamed of themselves," says Meng. "The American people will not forget this betrayal.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge. Now on BlueSky.