Op-ed: We're Nebraska's U.S. Congressmen. Here's why we supported the Big Beautiful Bill

[Omaha Steve]

FULL story: http://archive.today/Mg4rJ

By Don Bacon, Mike Flood, and Adrian Smith Jul 12, 2025 Updated 1 hr ago

Last week, before we voted to send HR 1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) to President Trump for his signature, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries gave a speech in which it was clear Leader Jeffries had overlooked what the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and other proven policies in HR 1 have achieved for the American people. We would like to share why the bill will bring to America the sanity voters called for in November 2024.

Medicaid is a lifeline for the neediest Americans, young and old. Unfortunately, its current, unsustainable fiscal trajectory weakens the program as federal outlays have more than doubled since 2012. To strengthen the program’s long-term outlook and integrity, HR 1 requires able-bodied Medicaid beneficiaries ages 19-64 without children to work, attend school, or volunteer an average of 20 hours per week. Work requirements signed into law by President Clinton in 1996 showed millions of welfare recipients could improve their lives through economic opportunity, and we expect HR 1 will similarly help bring a significant number of Americans in from the sidelines of our economy.

While abuse and errors within Medicaid are rampant, the CBO estimates the safeguards in HR 1 will hold states accountable to address the 1.4 million illegal immigrants enrolled in state programs funded by taxpayers, an additional 1.3 million Medicaid beneficiaries who are enrolled but ineligible, and 1.6 million individuals enrolled in Medicare in two states simultaneously. Altogether these changes account for most of the Medicaid savings in HR 1 while putting Medicaid on sounder financial footing to continue serving pregnant women, parents, children, elderly, and disabled Americans. HR 1 also repeals Biden-era nursing home staffing requirements that would have closed rural facilities and includes an additional $50 billion in funding for states to boost rural hospitals and access to care.

As with Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) spending has nearly doubled in recent years from $60 billion in 2019 to $100 billion in 2024. The ballooning spending is due in part to the current patchwork of state waivers, leaving little incentive for states like California or New York to address high payment error rates. Under HR 1, states with error rates exceeding 6 percent would be required to match federal funding dollar for dollar. Given Nebraska’s current SNAP error rate of 5.5 percent and other incentives in the bill, we fully expect our state will not be subject to matching requirements, and Nebraska’s leadership will show other states how to choose program integrity over the penalty.

Original pay link: https://omaha.com/opinion/column/article_ea3c1536-b19b-4c99-8aa2-909930a8f253.html