The One Big Beautiful Bill or Just Trumpery? A Closer Look at H.R. 1 and Who It Really Serves
- willrothconsulting
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
When Congress passed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, many in political circles cheered. Some called it bold. Others, transformative. But for millions of working Americans trying to keep a roof over their heads, this bill feels like something else entirely.
It feels like trumpery.
Let’s define that word before we go any further.
Trumpery (noun): Worthless nonsense. Deceitful or showy language or objects with little real value. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
The name of the bill may sound promising. “Beautiful,” even. But peel back the layers, and what you find is not policy designed to lift up struggling families. It is a piece of legislation packed with benefits for the wealthy, corporations, and the politically connected—while many working families and middle-income earners quietly brace for what is coming next.
What’s Actually in the Bill?
H.R. 1 is sweeping in scope. It includes:
Extension of Trump-era tax cuts for individuals and corporations
Work requirements for Medicaid and other federal aid programs
Massive increases in defense and border security spending
Changes to the SALT (State and Local Tax) deduction, which benefit higher-income households
Debt ceiling extension to enable long-term deficit increases, without offsetting measures
In short, it lowers tax burdens on high earners and multinational companies, while tightening restrictions and requirements on public programs that serve low- and moderate-income Americans.
Who Wins?
Corporations: Permanent tax reductions and capital gains advantages
High earners: Reinstated deductions and estate tax adjustments
Defense contractors: Billions in new funding
The wealthiest 5 percent: Reap the biggest long-term benefits from changes to tax and investment policy
Who Pays the Price?
The working poor: Facing new barriers to Medicaid, housing aid, and SNAP
Middle-class families: Squeezed by rising healthcare costs and stagnant wages
Rural and underserved communities: At risk of losing federal support for hospitals and health programs
Clinicians and service providers: Caught between increasing demand and shrinking reimbursement
For many of us in healthcare and behavioral health, especially those serving Medicaid clients, H.R. 1 is not beautiful. It is alarming.
A Bill That Looks Good on Paper—Until You Read It
The playbook is familiar: brand a massive bill with a flattering title, fill it with provisions that benefit the few, and sell it as a win for the people. But this kind of legislative marketing is exactly what the word trumpery warns us about—flash over substance, promise over policy, and wealth over equity.
Final Thoughts
This bill may be “big” and “beautiful” to its authors and backers. But for working families, low-wage earners, clinicians, educators, and anyone trying to get by—not get rich—it reads like empty politics dressed up as reform.
We owe it to ourselves and our communities to call it what it is. Trumpery.
To review H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, please visit H.R.1 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): One Big Beautiful Bill Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
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