On July 4, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed into law the highly debatable legislative package titled the One Big Beautiful Bill. Marketed as an attempt to empower every American, this extensive act overhauls major sectors including, defense, economy, healthcare, education, immigration, and energy. Spanning over nearly a thousand pages, it is not just a policy document but an ideological manifestation of Trump’s agenda. While supporters hail it as a well-thought-out act with a wide scope, critics identify its far-reaching negative impacts. The bill redirects America’s domestic and international policies in a way that could redefine history.
Salient Features of the Bill
The One Big Beautiful Bill merges various policies into one unified act, reflecting the political and governance philosophies of Trump.
Permanent Extension of 2017 Tax Cuts
One of the most prominent features of the bill is the permanent extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, stipulating that businesses and families will continue to pay lower taxes. It introduces an expanded standard tax deduction for all income levels and an increased child tax credit, bringing it to $2,200 maximum. It also enacts no tax policy on tips and overtime. The bill also creates Trump Accounts, which allow and encourage parents to save early for their newborns.
Major Cuts to Healthcare and Welfare Services
Another important aspect of the bill is the reduced federal spending on healthcare and welfare programs. It imposes deep structural changes to Medicaid, converting it from an open entitlement to a block grant system. The bill introduces work requirements for able-bodied adults and reduces Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood and LGBTQ+. The bill also introduces funding cuts to SNAP (food stamps) by expanding work requirements. Federal support for the Children Health Insurance Program has also been reduced.
Expanding Immigration Enforcement and Border Spending
The bill allocates $170 billion for the largest immigration enforcement in American history. The funds are approved to be spent on advanced surveillance systems, border patrolling, increased security, and detention centers. It also restores border wall construction and makes it harder to qualify for asylum. Integrity fees are added to student visa application processing, and undocumented immigrants are barred from enjoying many public services.
Shifting Energy and Climate Policy
The bill decrees major policy changes to the energy and climate sectors. It diminishes support for clean energy by cancelling the tax credit and funding for solar panels, electric vehicles, wind farms, and battery storage projects. Rather, the One Big Beautiful Bill removes many regulations and restrictions on pipelines and fossil fuel exports. It supports the generation of nuclear and coal power while also encouraging the drilling for oil and gas.
Changes in Education Policy
In education, the bill cuts back on the funding and financial aid available to students. It sets new requirements and limits the borrowing amount offered to graduate students. The bill reduces the funding for public universities, compelling them to increase their tuition fees. Meanwhile, the bill provides tax breaks for parents who send their children to religious or private schools, promoting school choice.
Defense Spending
The bill boosts the defense and military spending by $150 billion. The funds are allocated for increasing cybersecurity, advancing space programs, and improving weapons. Border infrastructure and security are also to be enhanced through better technology. Additionally, $40 million is set aside for a project titled the National Garden of American Heroes, which aims to celebrate the historical American figures.
Opposition to the Bill: Divided Nation
Despite its massive patriotic branding, Trump’s legislative bill met with multifaceted opposition. The One Big Beautiful Bill passed the House of Representatives by only a few votes (218-214) and split the Senate down the middle (50-50). It was Vice President J. D. Vance’s tie-breaking vote that led to the passing of the bill. Not a single Democrat supported the bill. Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries claimed that people will die from the bill. Some members of the GOP also publicly criticized the bill on the grounds of reduced medical facilities and environmental dysregulation. Among them are Lisa Murkowski and Brian Fitzpatrick.
Beyond Congress, the bill triggered a wave of legal challenges. Civil rights movements, including ACLU, Lambda Legal, and the National Immigration Law Centre, filed lawsuits against the bill targeting the provisions related to decreased Medicaid funding, banning gender affirming care, and strict immigration enforcement. San Francisco and 34 other jurisdictions joined forces to challenge the local requirement to comply with federal immigration enforcement. They argue that it is against the principles of federalism stipulated by the Tenth Amendment.
The bill has been a subject of criticism from healthcare and environmental activists. The American Medical Association and other health organizations publicly raised their concerns against the whopping cut down in Medicaid. AMA also warned that the bill would cause many hospitals to shut down. Emergency rooms in different states are expected to face spikes in patients as preventive care options dwindle. Climate advocates argue that the bill would slash 300 gigawatts of energy capacity, cost hundreds of clean energy jobs, increase electricity bills, and impact America’s commitment to global climate cooperation.
Most importantly, the public sentiment is widely against the One Big Beautiful Bill. According to a poll conducted in June by the Pew Research Centre, 49% of Americans opposed the bill, while only 29% supported it. Similarly, Axios reported that polling from different outlets, including Fox, KFF, and Washington Post-Ipsos, reflects noticeable disapproval from the public. The opposition to the bill is particularly powerful from educators, students, healthcare professionals, and minority groups, mirroring a resistance that transcends political affiliations.
National Impacts
The domestic effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill are already becoming evident, with deeper consequences likely to unfold in the coming months. 300 rural hospitals face the danger of immediate shutdown. The states of Kansas, Mississippi, and West Virginia are at higher risk, as children and adults in rural communities are more likely to have had Medicaid or CPIC. The federal Medicaid funding to rural areas is expected to decline by $155 billion, affecting hospital services and small clinics. Moreover, the strain on the education sector is alarming and swift.
Yale University has imposed a 90-day hiring freeze and is planning cost-cutting measures as it braces itself to face the hike in tax endowment. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, departments have been commanded to reduce their budgets between 5 and 7 percent. The university is also finding ways to cut down on its travel, hiring, and other non-essential costs.
The funding decrease to programs like SNAP, CHIP, and student loans has caused low-income families to suffer. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill will increase the federal deficit by approximately $3.4 trillion. The large deficits would cause Congress to make a tough choice between reducing spending on social programs and increasing taxes. In both cases, the working and middle class will face the burden rather than the wealthy. The rollback of regulatory protection is also raising concerns for workers in healthcare and education. They face increased job insecurity and low funding pressures. In effect, the bill redirects American policies towards securing benefits for the corporations while jeopardizing the economic stability of the lower classes.
International Impacts
The economic, trade, and environmental policies in the One Big Beautiful Bill have raised concerns at the international level. The bill introduces 1% tax on remittances sent from the US, which would affect the remittance-dependent global economies. It also phases out clean energy incentives, which may slow down global climate efforts. A $10,000 tax credit for made-in-America vehicles has the potential of disadvantaging companies like Toyota and Hyundai. The tariff imposition on small foreign shipments has paved the way for escalating trade tensions with China, Latin America, and the EU.
Changes in immigration enforcement policies could impact international students, workers, asylum seekers, and immigrant families, igniting a humanitarian crisis. Increased deportations, family separations, and ripple effects on global migration patterns are a few reservations presented by advocacy groups. Moreover, the cuts to programs like Medicaid and food assistance will affect the US consumer spending, thereby impacting the exporters who depend on American demand. The rollback of clean energy tax credits will shift the global supply and demand towards China for minerals, increasing its influence in the global market. The far-reaching global impacts show that the bill is not merely domestic legislation; it is a historic realignment of international diplomacy.
Conclusion
Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is not merely a policy statement; it is the beginning of a new national and international era that favors commotion and deliberation. Its supporters view it as a historic victory of the populist, nationalist, and conservative stance of Trump. But critics view the bill as an attempt to strip away human rights by enforcing rigid healthcare, economic, educational, and defense policies. Though it offers short-term benefits, the long-term demerits and burdens cannot be overlooked. One Big Beautiful Bill, however, will be remembered not for what it offers but for what it reveals steadily. As the bill-turned-law takes its course, Americans should fasten their seatbelts for an unpredictable drive on the road of history.
If you want to submit your articles and/or research papers, please visit the Submissions page.
To stay updated with the latest jobs, CSS news, internships, scholarships, and current affairs articles, join our Community Forum!
The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
Laiba Khalid is a university student and emerging content writer with a keen focus on socio-political issues, governance, and policy. With a background in English and an interest in current affairs, she brings a critical and youth-driven perspective to contemporary debates. Laiba is particularly interested in bridging academic insight with real-world challenges. She writes with a commitment to clarity and research-based analysis.