U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin remains fearful that you may not get the medical help you need on the heels of last week’s approval of the reconciliation bill. Baldwin joined all of her Democratic colleagues and three Republican senators in voting against the reconciliation bill, which is either beautiful or ugly depending on the aisle you sit on inside the U.S. Capitol. Republicans have championed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by providing permanent lower tax rates, adding more funding for border control and immigration enforcement, and eliminating some of the government waste. Democrats have called it the “One Big Ugly Bill,” blaming it for significant cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs while adding money to the deficit. Baldwin sharpened her critique on the bill’s impact on rural hospitals, which rely on Medicaid funding to care for some of their most vulnerable patients.

Baldwin said that even though some of the One Beautiful Bill Act provisions do not go into effect until late next year, some could feel the impact sooner rather than later. We have reached out via email to Senator Ron Johnson's office for his comments in the aftermath of the act’s passage and signature. In a statement he posted online, he said last week’s act passage prevented an automatic $4 trillion tax increase and a default on the country’s debt. He is looking forward to finding ways to reduce spending to pre-pandemic levels.