Today marks 90 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, guaranteeing that after a lifetime of hard work, Americans could retire with security and dignity. Social Security pulled millions of Americans out of poverty and relieved a great strain on their children who were working hard to make ends meet themselves.
While Social Security has continued to be a reliable source of income for millions of Americans and has never missed a payment, Congress has not acted to enhance Social Security for all beneficiaries in more than 50 years.
Since President Trump took office, he and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency have instituted policies that cut staff at the Social Security Administration and attempt to privatize Social Security, putting Americans’ access to their hard-earned benefits at risk.
Over 140,000 residents across Ventura County and the Conejo Valley receive Social Security benefits, according to the Social Security Administration, and they deserve to have their benefits strengthened and protected – not subject to risky bets of Wall Street. I am working with my Democratic colleagues to not only protect your benefits from these cuts, but also to enhance benefits to keep them up with rising costs.
The Big Ugly Bill Betrayal
As you may know, the Republican Majority in Congress recently passed H.R. 1 into law on July 4, 2025, enacting the largest cuts to Medicaid and food assistance in American history. Since then, I have received hundreds of calls and emails from constituents who are worried about how they will be impacted by this reckless and ill-conceived bill.
I share these concerns and I am working to provide better clarity about the short and long-term consequences of this Big Ugly Bill. Here are some key takeaways:
Social Security
The Trump administration has claimed that H.R. 1 eliminated taxes on Social Security benefits for seniors, but this is simply not true. The new law does not change long-standing law related to how Social Security benefits are taxed.
Instead, the budget reconciliation law created a new deduction for certain seniors with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of up to $175,000 ($250,000 for married couples). The maximum deduction is $6,000 per eligible taxpayer, and the value of the deduction is phased out for individuals with a MAGI above $75,000. Also, this deduction is only available for the 2025 through 2028 tax years.
While this new law will benefit some seniors, it primarily benefits a subset of higher-income seniors with income beyond their Social Security benefits, and about half of seniors – those with the lowest income – will receive no benefit from the provision at all. The new deduction also excludes more than 13 million Social Security beneficiaries under age 65, including most individuals receiving disability benefits and those who claimed retirement benefits between ages 62 and 64.
Source: House Ways and Means Committee Democrats, Congress.gov
Healthcare
The Big Ugly Bill cuts more than a trillion dollars in health care, which will result in more than 15 million people losing their health care coverage and becoming uninsured.
The Republicans’ largest health care cuts were to Medicaid – cutting it by more than $900 billion. In fact, the Big Ugly Bill includes more than 20 individual Medicaid provisions. While these policies are complex, their effects are simple and cruel. Millions of people will lose coverage and be driven further into medical debt while vulnerable providers are forced to close their doors and slash services. The bill also makes nursing homes less safe by dramatically reducing staffing and safety standards
Furthermore, H.R. 1 eliminates federal Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, and restricts access to care for more than 1.1 million patients who could have nowhere else to turn for critical reproductive healthcare services like birth control, STI testing, and cancer screenings.
Also, according to the Congressional Budget Office, new and overly complex work rules, as well as new cost-sharing and renewal processes, for people covered by Medicaid will lead to a sharp uptick in uninsured Americans.
Worse, the bill sabotages the Affordable Care Act, spiking monthly health insurance premiums for millions of families by failing to extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits that expire at the end of 2025.
Source: House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats, Congressional Budget Office
Food Assistance
The majority of people receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are children, seniors, and people with disabilities. H.R. 1 guts this food assistance by nearly $200 billion, cutting the heart out of this vital lifeline for vulnerable populations.
The reduction in funding for SNAP begins in late 2026, and states will soon be required to cover more of the program costs and are limited in their ability to waive work requirements. Work requirement exemptions for our veterans, people experiencing homelessness and young adults in foster care have been eliminated.
These cuts will raise costs for everyone, not just those on SNAP, since states and counties will be forced to raise taxes or cut services. In California, where counties contribute 28% of the non-federal match, the Big Ugly Bill requires county taxpayers to provide an additional $247 million annually.
Additionally, cuts to SNAP will deal a real blow to working people by destroying jobs throughout the food and agriculture supply chain, including in trucking, manufacturing, warehousing, and farming. The money spent on food through SNAP supports nearly 400,000 jobs in these sectors.
Source: House Agriculture Committee Democrats
The Bottom Line
Here’s the bottom line: Republican policies in Congress are increasing the national debt by $3.4 trillion over ten years, ripping healthcare away from millions of Americans, and cutting food assistance for the most needy, all to deliver a massive tax cut to billionaires.
Every single House Democrat voted no on this cruel and despicable bill because the American people deserve better. This bill may have become law, but our fight is far from over. House Democrats are in this for the long haul, and we will not stop pushing for a better future for all Americans.
As always, constituent services remain my top priority. If you or someone you know needs help with a federal agency, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (805) 379-1779. I’m here to help!
Please continue to keep in touch on the issues important to you. I look forward to updating you again soon.
Sincerely,
JULIA BROWNLEY
Member of Congress
Issues: 119th Congress, Healthcare, Seniors' Issues