Miller-Meeks denies Big Beautiful Bill Act would add trillions to national debt
Members of Congress are now on their Memorial Day recess and back in their home districts. Republicans in the House of Representatives left D.C. by adopting a big piece of Trump's agenda last week. It's officially called the Big Beautiful Bill Act.
But this is a budget with spending details and tax cuts. Independent estimates say it would add $4 trillion to the national debt if this passes the Senate in its current form.
A few quick specifics. It would extend the first Trump administration tax breaks, include new cuts on estate taxes and reduce Medicaid spending while adding a work requirement to be eligible. It would also limit dependents for SNAP food assistance, weaken court authority to enforce contempt charges for ignoring and defying court orders and injunctions, and a lot more than that.
Those restrictions on Medicaid and SNAP food assistance fell under the purview of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks serves on it. For months Republicans maintained they would see no cuts. A crew with a group called Social Security Works asked the Congresswoman about that in March.
'You voted in this committee to advance to advance resolution that where you guys need to find savings for 880 billion dollars,' the group said. 'How are you going to find that savings without cutting Medicaid?'
'There are ways that we can find it and we will continue to that,' Miller-Meeks answered. 'As you know, we didn't make any cuts. All we did was pass a budget reconciliation solution.'
A different crew with Social Security Works tried asking her about her vote in favor of the cuts to Medicaid and SNAP benefits in committee that got included in the final bill.
Congresswoman Miller-Meeks would not stop to talk and hurried to get on an elevator for a conference meeting.
That more than 1100-page budget package passed by the House of Representatives is still being digested.
We mentioned a few of the ramifications. Host Jim Niedelman gets into that with Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks. She voted for it and joins him for a conversation.
'They underpredicted the effect of revenue growth during the first Trump administration,' Miller-Meeks said.
To hear more, click on the video.
Now we want to hear from you, too, and that brings us to our question of the week. What do you think about the Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by the House of Representatives? Share your thoughts at 4therecord@whbf.com
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