Here’s how many people will see higher monthly bills in Kalamazoo, Holland, and Battle Creek this year—and the politician who let it happen

District 4 faces more than $565 million in financial losses tied to GOP-supported spending cuts.

Michiganders living in the southwest region of the Mitten will lose more than half a billion dollars in federal funding this year—a move that health officials and economists say could leave tens of thousands of families without health care while driving up household utility bills.

READ MORE: Opinion: The ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill Act’ puts the health of everyone in Michigan at risk

The legislation behind the cuts, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” was passed by Republicans in Congress and signed by President Trump earlier this month. It delivers sweeping tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans, but pays for those cuts by slashing funding for public programs and repealing clean-energy tax credits that kept utility bills low.

In Michigan’s 4th Congressional District—which includes nearly 800,000 residents in Allegan County, Van Buren County, and the cities of Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Holland, Portage, and St. Joseph—the financial losses are expected to total more than $565 million in 2025 alone. The largest portion, about $544 million, comes from changes to Medicaid, which will shift more of the program’s cost burden to states and result in an estimated 60,000 residents losing their coverage.

RELATED: Michigan Republicans pass bill to carve out tax breaks for the wealthy atop health care cuts

The remainder of the losses will show up gradually as energy bills begin to climb, according to new analysis from Energy Innovation. By 2026, the bill’s rollback of renewable energy tax incentives is expected to raise household utility costs by $110 per year with annual rate increases continuing through 2035. 

While the timing of those hikes will vary by utility provider, analysts say Michigan ratepayers are likely to see some of the highest increases in the Midwest.

Critics of the new law say it amounts to a cost transfer—away from billionaires and toward everyday residents—particularly in states like Michigan, where Medicaid expansion and clean-energy development have played a central role in economic recovery.

RELATED: Trump slams brakes on Michigan’s clean energy future

The bill’s path to passage was razor-thin. On July 1, the US Senate approved the bill in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. The legislation was then returned to the US House of Representatives, where it passed just days before the Fourth of July holiday. It was signed into law by Trump shortly afterward.

Who’s responsible for passing the bill?

Congressman Bill Huizenga, a Republican who represents the state’s 4th district, voted in favor of the measure—despite concerns from local health officials who say Medicaid cuts could overwhelm rural hospitals, and disrupt care for seniors and low-income families throughout his district. 

Huizenga has held public office in Michigan since 2003, and recently announced in a social media post that he does not plan to run for Senate next year. He has not confirmed whether he’ll run for reelection as representative of Michigan’s 4th Congressional district.

READ MORE: 7 Michigan Republicans vote to help Trump gut health care for 200,000 Michiganders

Huizenga, who has also previously faced scrutiny over campaign spending practices, described Trump’s bill as a pro-growth measure and a “massive win for hardworking Americans.” But Democratic lawmakers in the state say the financial burden now facing Michigan residents tells a different story.

“I really think that this is a step backwards and in the wrong direction,” House Rep. Julie Rogers, a Democrat serving constituents from Kalamazoo County, told WWMT. “What they do in Washington will have a major impact on our state budget and our ability, or lack thereof, to deliver programs in Michigan.”

Statewide, Michigan is projected to lose $1.1 billion per year in Medicaid funding under the new law. The change comes as the state also prepares to absorb a greater share of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administrative costs beginning in 2027, further straining the overall budget.

The Urban Institute, a nonprofit Washington-based policy group, estimates that across the country, more than 22 million families will lose some or all of their federal benefits under the law. In Michigan alone, analysts project between 120,000 and 160,000 households could see their benefits reduced or eliminated.

For the residents of Allegan, Van Buren, and neighboring counties in this district, that means more than just a line in the state budget. And with those cuts already taking shape, the consequences for families in Southwest Michigan are becoming harder to ignore.