Grassroots Update: This Week on TVW
On July 4, 2025, the President officially signed the first bill of the 119th congress, H.R.1, into law. Known colloquially as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” H.R.1 is a federal budget and tax package designed to reduce government spending and extend the current administration’s tax cut priorities.
H.R.1 will enact significant cuts to federal Medicaid spending. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that over the next 10 years Medicaid spending will fall by $911 billion. This is the largest cut in the program’s history. Washington state loses roughly 36 billion dollars over the same period.
For our legislators this comes on the heels of a state budget crisis which continues to grow. The current budget deficit in Washington is estimated to be between $4-5 billion. Between the impact of H.R.1 Medicaid funding cuts and an existing state budget deficit, the members of both houses of the Legislature will navigate a sea of uncertainty which brings Governor Ferguson’s November budget on its waves.
If you are a student of such matters, you may be interested in an upcoming work session of the Senate Ways & Means Committee. It has convened the session to understand the federal changes enacted by H.R.1, and the state implications for Medicaid and food assistance programs in Washington. We at WHCA will be monitoring and encourage those who have time to tune in as well. You can view it for free here: TVW this Thursday (10/14) at 2pm.
