U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres is warning that President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which aims to cut taxes and government spending, also contains cuts to the social safety net that would be disastrous for the Bronx.
The bill proposes $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and SNAP food assistance programs, which would be a “catastrophe for the Bronx,” said Torres in an interview with the Bronx Times. “The consequences are hard to overstate.”
The President’s bill proposes a “radical redistribution of wealth” that harms vulnerable people while making rich Americans even richer, according to Torres.
It passed the House on May 22 by just one vote (215 to 214) and is now headed to the Senate, where Torres said he hopes lawmakers will remove the most drastic cuts.
The bill currently calls for $1 trillion in tax cuts that Torres and others argue will mainly benefit already-wealthy earners, though the administration disputes this idea.
The Trump administration argues the bill will help working Americans and advance the issues they care about, such as controlling illegal immigration. It makes good on a Trump campaign promise of no taxes on tips and overtime through 2028 and adds $12 billion in spending on border security.
But Medicaid and SNAP programs — usually assumed to be safe from drastic cuts by any political party— could undergo major changes that would impact millions of Bronxites.
For one, the bill would impose a work requirement on able-bodied Medicaid holders between ages 19 and 64 who do not have children. The bill also requires people up to age 64 to work in exchange for SNAP benefits, up from the current upper-age limit of 54, and requires states to cover more of the cost.
The cuts would negatively impact many in New York City, but people in the Bronx, including in Torres’ district, are most vulnerable because of the high number of people using public benefits.
Poverty data shows that Torres’ district has among the city’s highest levels of food insecurity. Of the seven NYC neighborhoods most affected, four are at least partially within Torres’ district, including West Farms, Belmont, Highbridge and Mott Haven. In NY-15, 25% of families live in poverty, according to Census data.
Torres also said that more than two-thirds of NY-15 residents are enrolled in Medicaid and that households cannot afford to cover what he called “draconian” cuts.
Not only could many residents lose their personal healthcare, the local workforce could also suffer, Torres said. Healthcare jobs make up about 25% of the Bronx economy, with the Montefiore system being the number one employer in the borough, he said. Cutting Medicaid could lead to job losses at hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies and more.
Torres, who is exploring a run for governor, said he is spending most of his time in D.C. and in his district working on ways to protect constituents, though he said there can be no substitute for federal funding.
“Republicans are effectively defunding food and healthcare for the bottom 50% in order to fund their tax cuts for the top 1%,” said Torres. “I cannot imagine a greater betrayal of working-class Americans, particularly in the Bronx.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
