Between President Donald Trump’s war on diversity and equity to his due process-defying mass deportation agenda, the Trump administration has already kept the civil rights community working overtime before the president introduced America to his so-called “big, beautiful bill.” The bill has now been passed by Congress and signed into law, even though it has been panned by everyone except MAGA loyalists as a legislative disaster that will hurt the overwhelming majority of Americans, including those who are already living in abject poverty. So, civil rights leaders are, once again, uniting against the federal government in condemnation of this big, burdensome blunder of a bill that’s bound to be brutal for Black people and beyond.
Let’s start with the NAACP.
The famed civil rights organization published a press release following the passage of the bill last week.
“Make no mistake, this bill is not beautiful. It’s brutal,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson, “It’s a deeply destructive piece of legislation that undermines the very foundations of what it means to be an American. Not only does it slash funding for essential programs like Medicaid, SNAP, tax credits for the middle and working class, it deepens the nation’s debt by over $3 trillion – all to make billionaires wealthier.”
“This kind of policy violence is nothing less than an assault on everyday Americans, no matter if you’re Black, white, or brown. We will not stand idly by as our communities are stripped of the benefits that we pay for with our tax dollars,” he continued.
The NAACP recently declined to invite the president to its national convention for the first time in 116 years, so it’s no surprise the organization wasted no time condemning yet another disastrous Trump policy, but it’s far from alone in this fight. The National Urban League also published a news release the day before the bill passed, one that was more focused on the impact the bill is expected to have on the Black community.
“Among other things, the legislation would gut Medicaid, slash funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and limit access to federal student loans — outcomes that would disproportionately burden Black Americans, who rely on these services at higher rates,” the organization wrote.
The news release focused not only on the slashes to Medicaid but how those cuts would affect food assistance programs like SNAP.
“The Congressional Budget Office analysis estimates that 3 million more people could lose their eligibility for food assistance. Roughly 27% of adult and child SNAP recipients are Black, according to the Pew Research Center,” the Urban League wrote.
The organization also called out a part of the law that places a cap on federal student loan borrowing and removes “the option to defer repayment if borrowers are facing economic hardship or unemployment,” which the League says could “limit access to higher education or push students toward private loans with higher interest rates,” which could “have an especially large impact on Black borrowers,” who “not only owe a disproportionate amount of the national student loan debt — they’re also more likely to struggle to repay their loans.”
Here’s what Kristin Powell, Executive Director of Black to the Future Action Fund, had to say about the “Big Ugly Bill:”
“We live in a country where our elected officials do not care if we live or die. In fact, they are counting on it. In passing the ‘Big Ugly Bill,’ Republicans made their priorities clear: greed over good, cruelty over care, and billionaires over Black lives. Make no mistake – this devastating bill is a direct assault on Black communities and the basic rights we fight for 24/7.
“This destructive and rotten bill guts Medicaid, slashes SNAP benefits, and imposes cruel restrictions on Pell Grants – impacting people’s ability to access health care, food and education. By cutting Medicaid, this bill jeopardizes rural hospitals, eliminates jobs for Black home care workers, and worsens health outcomes in our communities. Stricter SNAP work requirements and Pell grant credit restrictions push struggling families closer to hunger and poverty.
“This bill isn’t just bad policy; it’s an assault on Black lives and a deliberate attack on the progress we’ve fought for. When Black communities are denied access to care, our health outcomes worsen, and more of our folks could die. Instead, Trump’s GOP is prioritizing trillion-dollar tax cuts for the wealthy and bankrolling mass deportations of immigrants.”
It’s worth noting that none of these civil rights organizations are griping just to gripe; they’re also issuing a call to action for voters and activists to hold the administration as well as Republican legislators accountable by continuing to protest, and, more importantly, vote these so-called congressional leaders out come midterms.
We have a long, arduous road ahead of us, folks. We’re only six months into Trump’s abysmal presidency, and we likely won’t get to take a collective breath before this White House and its cowardly Republican enablers force through their next devastatingly bad policy that will harm Black people along with most Americans, including those who perpetually vote against their own interests.
The fight goes on.
SEE ALSO:
Big Beautiful BS: Trump Proposes UFC Fights On White House Lawn As Republicans Pass Worst Bill In History
Trump’s ‘Big, Ugly Bill’ Will Destroy Medicare, Food Stamps
Civil Rights Leaders Publicly Condemn Trump’s ‘Big Ugly Bill’
was originally published on
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