Last week, the Republicans in Congress passed a sweeping tax and domestic policy bill that guts funding for essential services relied on by millions of Americans—including thousands of families right here in Lenawee County.
The bill slashes Medicaid, SNAP, education funding, and environmental protection—all while promising massive new tax cuts to billionaires and turning ICE into a standing army.
And did we mention it adds more than $3 trillion to the national debt?
Below, we’ve outlined 5 ways the bill is slated to impact our community on the local level. Unfortunately for Lenawee County, the outlook isn’t great.
1. Health Care
Nearly 17% people in Lenawee County—children, seniors, and people with disabilities—depend on Medicaid. Medicaid keeps our rural hospitals open, pays for nursing home care, and helps families afford treatment.
Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill will lead to:
- Closures or downsizing of rural hospitals and clinics, which are often already operating on thin margins
- Longer wait times and fewer options for specialized care, forcing patients to travel farther for treatment
- Cuts to mental health and substance use services—at a time when the opioid crisis continues to affect families across our county
- Reduced support for seniors in nursing homes and home-based care programs, leaving many older residents with nowhere to turn
- Disruptions to care for children with disabilities and chronic health conditions, who rely on Medicaid-funded therapies and support
When leaders in Washington talk about “reducing spending,” they often don’t say out loud that these are the real consequences—people in our communities losing care they need to stay healthy, work, and live with dignity.
2. Food Security
About 11,000 of our neighbors in Lenawee count on SNAP benefits to put food on the table, according to data gathered in 2022. This bill means:
- Reduced monthly SNAP benefits, forcing families to stretch already tight grocery budgets even further
- Harder eligibility requirements, so more seniors, veterans, and working families could be kicked off the program entirely
- Less funding for local food banks, which often rely on federal support to meet growing needs in our community
- Increased strain on schools, churches, and nonprofits trying to fill the gaps when families lose benefits
3. Education
Lenawee schools rely on federal funding to support students and keep programs running. The Department of Education has already threatened cuts that will mean fewer staff, less support, and harder choices for our already-stretched districts.
But this bill didn’t stop at K–12 education. It makes major changes to student loans that will limit educational options for young people across Lenawee County:
- End to income-driven repayment plans that cap payments based on what borrowers can afford
- Limits on Pell Grants that help low-income students pay for college
- Increased interest costs over the lifetime of student loans
For many local high-school graduates, these programs make the difference between being able to attend college or having to walk away. These cuts will force students to take on higher-interest private loans, delay higher education, or forgo it altogether.
4. Clean Water & Rural Resilience
Rural communities like ours depend on EPA and USDA programs to keep drinking water safe, protect farmland, and help families recover from disasters. Slashing these budgets puts our health and livelihoods at risk.
Here’s what the bill does:
- Cuts funding for water quality monitoring and cleanup, making it harder to detect and address contamination in wells and rivers that supply local drinking water
- Reduces support for farmers who use conservation practices that keep soil healthy and waterways clean
- Weakens enforcement of air and water pollution rules, putting public health at risk—especially for kids and seniors
- Eliminates federal incentives and grants for renewable energy, including wind and solar programs that many local homeowners, farmers, and small businesses have invested in to lower their bills and create jobs
- Halts progress on rural energy resilience, leaving communities more vulnerable to blackouts and rising utility costs
These programs aren’t abstract—they’re the reason Lenawee County has been able to:
- Remove contaminated soil from old industrial sites
- Help farmers adopt practices that protect our lakes and streams
- Support wind and solar projects that cut costs and keep energy dollars local
When funding disappears, so do these benefits. The bill doesn’t just roll back environmental protection—it actively punishes people who’ve worked hard to build cleaner, more resilient communities.
5. Escalating ICE Enforcement
While essential programs are being slashed, this same bill exponentially increases the budget for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the tune of $170.7 billion—that’s more than the military budgets of all but 15 countries.
We’ve already seen what ICE enforcement looks like here in Lenawee County:
- Unmarked vehicles detaining people in store parking lots
- Children witnessing their parents being taken away
- Longtime friends and neighbors living in fear
- Each of us being forced to live in a militarized police state
This expansion of ICE funding means more aggressive raids and more disruption of families—in a community that relies on immigrant workers, students, and neighbors to keep our schools, farms, and businesses running.
Why does this matter?
While working families like the ones in Lenawee County are asked to make heart-breaking sacrifices, this same bill delivers huge tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy and powerful corporations.
It’s a clear reminder: the fight for democracy is also a fight for fairness and human dignity.
What can you do?
This draconian bill was passed with help from our very own Rep. Tim Walberg, who called it “one beautiful win for the American people.”
Respectfully, Congressman, it’s not a win for Lenawee County—or any of our fellow Americans.
So where do we go from here?
First, watch the above “What’s the Plan” video from Indivisible HQ to prepare for the road ahead. Then take the following steps:
1️⃣ Stay Connected
Use our contact form to join our email list. You’ll get alerts about urgent legislation, local events, and opportunities to take action.
2️⃣ Show Up
Attend our next Lenawee Indivisible event as we organize to defend our democracy and support our neighbors. See what’s happening here.
3️⃣ Join the Conversation
Be part of our private Facebook group to connect with others, share resources, and build community power together. Join the group.
4️⃣ Spread the Word
Talk to your friends, family, and neighbors about what’s really in this bill. It’s not just “tax cuts”—it’s massive cuts to health care, food assistance, education, clean water, and renewable energy. When more people understand what’s at stake, we can stand together to protect our community.