Republicans showcase their 'big beautiful bill' to voters, but the law's
impact has been mixed
[September 11, 2026]
By LISA MASCARO
WASHINGTON (AP) — Working to keep the majority in Congress, Republicans
at the midterm convention in Dallas are showcasing their chief
legislative accomplishment — the sweeping package of tax breaks, social
service cuts and immigration enforcement that President Donald Trump
signed into law.
A year on, what's known as the One Big Beautiful Bill — or, the “Big
Ugly Bill,” as Democrats call it — has produced mixed results. Millions
of people have received enhanced tax breaks, while millions are also
losing access to federal food aid and health care. More immigrants are
being arrested, many deported, some dying during the process.
House Speaker Mike Johnson calls it the kind of “common sense” governing
that Republicans plan to do more of, if voters return them to power.
“Shamefully, not one Democrat voted for it,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis.,
said Wednesday during the convention's opening night.
Here's a look at what the big bill has accomplished, over the objections
of Democrats.
Tax breaks for millions
Millions of taxpayers enjoyed tax benefits this year they might not even
realize they received — the continuation of policies from Trump's first
term, in 2017, that were set to expire at the end of 2025 if Congress
had failed to act.
The legislation extended those Trump tax breaks and added new ones,
including no taxes on tips, overtime pay and certain auto loan interest
payments. There's a larger standard deduction, a bigger child tax credit
and an extra deduction for many seniors, as well as new Trump accounts
for children.
“Let me hear you if you’re benefiting from those tax cuts President
Trump fought for,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said at the
convention.
Cheers rippled through the audience.
All told, some 7.5 million filers claimed no tax on tipped income, 29
million people claimed no tax on overtime and 35 million took the
enhanced senior deduction, the Treasury Department said. Nearly 40
million families claimed the bigger child tax credit.
But the flow of the tax breaks has been uneven, with larger gains at the
upper incomes.
Garrett Watson, vice president of federal tax policy at the nonpartisan
Tax Foundation, said people may not feel the tax cuts, which averaged
$2,300, “because it's just continuing what was already the case.”
Actual refunds were up by about $350 on average, the foundation said,
about an 11% increase.
“It was avoiding a tax hike,” he said, which is different from “here’s
additional relief.”
Those gains have been largely offset by costs from Trump's tariffs and
other policies, he said.
Cuts to SNAP food aid and healthcare
A centerpiece of the bill brought substantive changes to the nation's
federal food assistance and healthcare programs, with stricter new work
requirements for many people who receive aid.
The shifts are set to chisel more than $1 trillion from the programs as
fewer people are enrolled, according to the nonpartisan Congressional
Budget Office.
So far, 4 million fewer people are receiving food aid through the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, according to
federal data compiled by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a
think tank in Washington.
SNAP participation rates have dropped in every state, and more than
800,000 children are no longer receiving the aid in at least 13 states
with publicly accessible data, according to the think tank.
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Senate Majority Whip Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., speaks at the
Republican convention Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas. (AP
Photo/Julio Cortez)
While SNAP has always required certain people to work as part of
receiving the aid, the Republicans extended the requirement to more
people, including older Americans through age 64 who are able-bodied
and without young children.
The Medicaid health program has not had such a work requirement, and
will soon face one as part of the big bill.
While a few states have begun imposing the Medicaid work requirement
this year, most will launch in 2027. The CBO has estimated more than
7 million people will be without health insurance from the Medicaid
changes. The bill adds a $50 billion fund to help rural hospitals
handle the cuts.
Republicans said their goal has been to root out what they call
waste, fraud and abuse in the food aid and healthcare programs and
get people back to work. Recipients are required to work, do
community service or enroll in education programs for 80 hours a
month.
Advocates for the programs say many of those who can work already
do, relying on the aid to help make ends meet.
All told, the tax breaks and program cuts add up to fewer resources
for poorer people — and more for those in the upper incomes.
“Resources will decrease for households toward the bottom of the
income distribution," the budget office said, “whereas resources
will increase for households in the middle and toward the top of the
income distribution.”
There's more money for the Pentagon and deportations
The package provided some $350 billion for the Defense and Homeland
Security departments, supercharging agency budgets.
The Pentagon's $150 billion boost is funding a range of projects,
though Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth returned to Capitol Hill this
summer seeking additional money to help pay for the war against
Iran.
Homeland Security was given some $175 billion in the big bill,
largely to support Trump's immigration enforcement and deportation
agenda.
Immigration arrests surged to a high of nearly 50,000 in July, as
Homeland Security redoubled its efforts following a slowdown in the
aftermath of the deaths of two Americans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti,
who were killed by law enforcement while protesting the federal
enforcement actions in Minneapolis.
Then in August, Homeland Security said it set another record, nearly
51,000 immigration arrests.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been on a hiring spree,
while state and local police departments are also tapping additional
funds to partner with ICE.
Deficits rise and debt hits a milestone
The big bill is expected to increase the nation's deficit by $3.4
trillion over the decade, according to a CBO analysis.
Tax revenues are projected to fall by $4.5 trillion, thanks to the
tax breaks, offset partly by a $1.1 trillion reduction in spending,
largely to the food and healthcare programs.
The nation's annual deficits are hovering at nearly $2 trillion, and
the accumulated U.S. debt now stands at $40 trillion, a milestone.
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