Union County Commissioners Oppose One Big Beautiful Bill Act

ELIZABETH, NJ — The Union County Board of Commissioners are trying to prevent county residents from receiving cuts to their health insurance coverage, which could happen under a bill that is currently being reviewed by U.S. Congress.

The commissioners are joining with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) to oppose the One Big Beautiful Bill Act which, if approved, could lead to billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and supplemental nutrition assistance (SNAP) programs throughout the nation. The AFSCME is a union that represents public- and private-sector employees such as local and state government workers, hospital workers and teachers.

The commissioners approved a resolution to oppose this bill during their June meeting.

"We need leaders to stand up, speak out, and take on the Trump Administration and speak about how this will affect residents here directly in Union County who will suffer if these cuts are passed," said Yara Willman-Cole*, a Township of Union resident during the meeting.

Willman-Cole is a member of New Jersey Citizen Action, a grassroots group that fights for low- and moderate-income people in New Jersey for social, racial and economic justice.

Willman-Cole spoke about statistics when she spoke at the commissioners meeting, noting that the bill would cut federal funding in New Jersey by $3.6 billion. Coverage from 20 percent of New Jersey's Medicaid enrollees would also be cut, she said, noting that 127,000 Medicaid enrollees live in Union County and that 61,000 of those people are children. She said in addition to that, 48,000 people in Union County are on SNAP and would face about $8 million in cuts.

"The bill would rip the very fabric of our nation's social safety net wide open to give the wealthiest people tax breaks they don't need, hurting veterans, seniors, children, people with disabilities; and all working people will suffer," says the resolution that the commissioners approved.

Approval of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could also lead to other losses such as jobs in the healthcare sector and approximately $48 billion in uncompensated care costs if people lose their Medicaid coverage, according to the resolution. SNAP programs throughout the U.S. could experience a $300 billion shift in their costs, according to the resolution, which could affect 40 million people nationwide.

These cuts will force states and local governments to cover expenses brought on by the cuts through other means such as making cuts in the schools and/or to road maintenance and projects, according to the resolution.

Approval of the bill could also lead to more than 10 million Americans losing their health insurance by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill now needs to be reviewed and approved by the U.S. Senate and signed by U.S. President Donald Trump before it becomes law.

This story was made possible through a collaboration of TAPinto sites in Union County.

*Corrected from an earlier version.