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Congressional majorities that sense their time in power might be fleeting all share a similar habit. They think that they can defeat the looming wrath of the voters by delaying the unpopular parts of major legislation.
The cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act in the “Big Beautiful Bill” are extremely unpopular, so Republicans delayed them until after the 2026 and 2028 elections.
The problem for Republicans will come soon after the 2026 midterm election if Democrats take back control of the House.
One of the first items on the House Democratic to-do list should be to roll back the Medicaid and ACA cuts, and it is something that could very easily happen in budget negotiations with Trump. If Trump is faced with a government shutdown or even a default because the debt limit increase is only for two years, he should be willing to negotiate away the Medicaid cuts, since he will be a lame-duck president who will only be focused on his legacy.
In the immediate term, never discount the ability, some would even say likelihood that House Republicans will implode and enough of them will refuse to support the legislation to the point where it gets kicked back to the Senate.
Never ever forget that the current House majority is one of the smallest and most dysfunctional in congressional history.
Expecting the majority to do the expected action in a timely manner could be a fool’s errand.
Republicans don’t govern like Democrats. They are inept at getting things done, and even if this bill passes and is signed into law, the fight will continue.
The delayed implementation of cuts could give Democrats the opportunity to prevent them from becoming a reality.
What do you think about how the BBB plays out? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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