7 Michigan Republicans could help Trump gut health care for 500,000 Michiganders

Michiganders are urging Republican lawmakers to reject President Donald Trump’s budget plan and protect funding for essential safety nets like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

LANSING—With US House Republicans poised to advance President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful” budget bill into law this week, Michiganders are again urging their representatives in Congress to reject the plan—or else risk 500,000 people losing health care coverage statewide.

“This bill will have a devastating impact on people’s lives,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement on Tuesday. “Cuts to Medicaid will hurt vulnerable Michiganders the most.”

The congressional spending bill Whitmer is referring to passed in the US Senate on Tuesday and is now en route for final consideration in the US House.

The bill, which was already approved once by the Republicans in the US House, features a sprawling tax and spending package that delivers large tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations while slashing funds for programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The latest reports show that the Republicans’ “one big, beautiful” budget bill would carve roughly $1 trillion out of the Medicaid program over the next 10 years. As a result, state officials say nearly 500,000 Michiganders would lose their coverage altogether—largely because of new paperwork hurdles and eligibility checks that are included in the pending federal legislation.

A state report reviewed in a joint legislative committee last week warned that hospitals—especially in rural areas—could be forced to downsize or close due to fewer Medicaid patients, ultimately threatening up to 300,000 health care jobs statewide.

And with Republicans racing to send the legislation to Trump’s desk to be signed into law this month, Whitmer—among other Democratic leaders—is making one final plea to hit the brakes.

“I encourage all the Democrats and Republicans in our congressional delegation including US Reps. John James, Tom Barrett, and Bill Huizenga to think about the choice they face,” Whitmer said in a statement on Tuesday evening. “A vote to pass this budget is a vote to terminate health care and skyrocket the cost of food for your constituents. I implore you all to vote no.”

What’s in the bill?

The budget legislation imposes new work requirements for Medicaid and food assistance, rolls back clean energy incentives, and adds red tape that experts warn could push more than 17 million Americans off their health coverage, including hundreds of thousands of people in Michigan.

Under the plan, able-bodied adults without dependents would need to complete at least 80 hours a month of work or community engagement to qualify for Medicaid. Reports show that most Medicaid recipients are already fulfilling those requirements, but would now be required to complete additional paperwork in order to continue receiving their benefits, which could ultimately trap them in a maze of bureaucracy and cost them their coverage.

The same rule would apply to those seeking food assistance through SNAP, and the cutoff age would rise from 54 to 64. Some parents would also face new work requirements. Under the proposed changes, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that about 3 million people would lose access to their SNAP food stamps benefits nationwide.

Medicaid currently covers about 2.6 million Michiganders—roughly one in four residents—including three in five nursing home patients, nearly half of all births, and 300,000 people with disabilities, according to data provided by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office.

The proposed cuts would gut a key source of funding for nursing homes, hospitals, and providers—especially in rural areas, where more than 60% of births are covered by Medicaid.

At the same time, the bill expands the federal child tax credit and increases the standard deduction, but those benefits skew heavily toward higher-income households. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated the legislation would add about $4 trillion to the national debt over the decade, with most of the benefits flowing to the wealthiest Americans.

The tax bill would reportedly raise incomes for the top 20% of Americans by about $5,700 a year, according to a recent Yale study. Meanwhile, the poorest households in the nation—those earning under $13,350—would lose nearly 3% of their income, or about $700 a year.

The bill also includes billions of dollars to prop up US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as the largest federal police agency in terms of both dollars and detention space.

What’s next?

Republican leaders want to vote on the budget plan as soon as Wednesday. The last time it was in the US House, all seven of Republicans from Michigan voted in support of the legislation—and none have offered any indication they intend to vote differently this time around.

“The time is now,” US Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Michigan) posted to X. “Failure is not an option.”

Meanwhile, Democrats like Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin—who both voted against the legislation—are continuing to sound alarm bells over the consequences of the budget cuts.

“Democrats did everything in our power to stop this legislation, but President Trump and Republicans in Congress are dead set on selling out hardworking Michiganders so they can pay for a massive tax cut for billionaires,” Peters said in a statement posted to social media this week. “This bill is reckless, irresponsible, and an unconscionable betrayal of American families.”

Slotkin added: “History will not be kind to this bill, but it is important to remember it is not a done deal. It still has to be passed in the House. So, raise your voices about how it will impact you or your business or your community. Call your representatives. Keep pushing.”

Trump has voiced a desire to sign the legislation into law by July 4—which is still possible, if the US House moves quickly to sign the US Senate-passed budget without additional changes.

With Republicans holding such a narrow majority in the US House, it’s also possible that enough opposition to the legislation could delay—or force amendments—to the budget plan, ultimately delaying the legislation past Trump’s self-imposed deadline as policy debates continue in DC.

“Let’s vote this cruel, fiscally irresponsible budget down and collaborate to help families in Michigan and across America succeed by delivering on the kitchen-table issues,” Whitmer said in a statement released this week. “Vote NO today and let’s work together tomorrow.”   

READ MORE: Michigan hospitals at risk of closing if Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ passes

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