Speaker Mike Johnson backs tax cut bill; advocates warn of Medicaid impact

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — After a meeting with former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson praised the “Big Beautiful Bill” — officially titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — which proposes sweeping federal spending cuts and permanent tax reductions.

The bill includes significant cuts to Medicaid, a move that has sparked division within the Republican Party.

Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash., criticized the measure, noting it could remove health insurance coverage for approximately “13.7 million Americans.”

In Louisiana, Alice Kline of the American Cancer Society’s state branch addressed more than 300 cancer researchers at Xavier University, warning that proposed cuts to federal research funding could have serious consequences.

“The United States is the biggest funder of cancer research in the world,” Kline said. “We can’t afford to lose progress in the fight against cancer.”

Kline said the bill could significantly affect Louisiana, where many rural hospitals depend on Medicaid funding. She warned that more than 3,000 jobs and $200 million in annual research funding could be at risk.

“Louisiana receives more federal funding than nearly any other state,” she said. “Much of that supports cancer research, so we are especially vulnerable to these cuts.”

Kline urged residents to contact their local representatives. Johnson, however, defended the bill as “restoring common sense to the government.”

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