Letter to the Editor: Budget bill has negative consequences for Wyoming

Dear Editor,

I am concerned about the negative impact on Wyoming voters and what we/they may experience if the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” passes the U.S. Senate (It has already succeeded in the U.S. House of Representatives.)

There is time to call your senators before they weigh in and/or the bill is signed into law by the President. This bill contains many details that will negatively impact all of us but will be particularly bad for Wyoming. Here are just a few of its provisions and their consequences:

There will be significant cuts to Medicaid. It’s estimated that at least $600 billion will be cut. These cuts will directly affect rural hospitals, such as North Big Horn Hospital. These hospitals and services (for instance two-thirds of nursing home patients) rely on Medicaid as their primary form of funding, and these cuts will force many rural hospitals to close.

There will be significant cuts to public education. Some will be indirect, through rewarding private school vouchers and reducing tax penalties for people who use vouchers, and will further the deregulation and dismantling of the Department of Education. Wyoming schools are extensively public and are supported and funded by taxpayers as well as the Department of Education.

One of the reasons that the two programs are being cut is to pay for continued income tax decreases for our country’s wealthier citizens (millionaires and billionaires), which will increase the federal deficit by two to three trillion dollars over the next decade (The national debt is currently $36 trillion.) This additional debt will increase inflation to a significant extent and dramatically affect our children and grandchildren’s ability to achieve the “American Dream.”

These are only three of the specific items in the bill that will negatively affect people of Wyoming. Please take a look at the whole bill to see what else may be affected.

Wyoming has two U.S. Senators (John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummus) who have yet to vote on this bill. For some reason Wyoming’s lone U.S. Representative, Harriet Hageman, voted for it. Please contact your senators and representative to express your/our concern.

David Cozzens

Letter to the Editor

Budget bill has negative consequences for Wyoming

Dear Editor,

I am concerned about the negative impact on Wyoming voters and what we/they may experience if the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” passes the U.S. Senate (It has already succeeded in the U.S. House of Representatives.)

There is time to call your senators before they weigh in and/or the bill is signed into law by the President. This bill contains many details that will negatively impact all of us but will be particularly bad for Wyoming. Here are just a few of its provisions and their consequences:

There will be significant cuts to Medicaid. It’s estimated that at least $600 billion will be cut. These cuts will directly affect rural hospitals, such as North Big Horn Hospital. These hospitals and services (for instance two-thirds of nursing home patients) rely on Medicaid as their primary form of funding, and these cuts will force many rural hospitals to close.

There will be significant cuts to public education. Some will be indirect, through rewarding private school vouchers and reducing tax penalties for people who use vouchers, and will further the deregulation and dismantling of the Department of Education. Wyoming schools are extensively public and are supported and funded by taxpayers as well as the Department of Education.

One of the reasons that the two programs are being cut is to pay for continued income tax decreases for our country’s wealthier citizens (millionaires and billionaires), which will increase the federal deficit by two to three trillion dollars over the next decade (The national debt is currently $36 trillion.) This additional debt will increase inflation to a significant extent and dramatically affect our children and grandchildren’s ability to achieve the “American Dream.”

These are only three of the specific items in the bill that will negatively affect people of Wyoming. Please take a look at the whole bill to see what else may be affected.

Wyoming has two U.S. Senators (John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummus) who have yet to vote on this bill. For some reason Wyoming’s lone U.S. Representative, Harriet Hageman, voted for it. Please contact your senators and representative to express your/our concern.

David Cozzens