Democrat Talking Point on Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Has ‘No Basis in Reality’ [WATCH]

As President Donald Trump’s budget reconciliation proposal, dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill,” moves through Congress, it has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, who claim the legislation could lead to massive Medicaid coverage losses.

But policy experts and supporters of the bill argue that the criticisms misrepresent key elements of the proposal and rely on misleading interpretations of its content.

Jim Agresti, president and cofounder of Just Facts, told Fox News Digital that claims the bill would hurt the poor are inaccurate.

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“The bill doesn’t cut benefits for anyone who has income below the poverty line, anyone who is working at least 20 hours a week and not caring for a child, and people who are Americans,” Agresti said.

The legislation, according to Agresti, focuses on eliminating waste and tightening eligibility requirements, specifically by excluding illegal immigrants and enforcing stricter checks to prevent fraud.

“It cuts out illegal immigrants who are not Americans and fraudsters. So that narrative has no basis in reality,” he stated.

Agresti pointed to long-term trends in Medicaid enrollment and poverty rates.

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“Since [Medicaid] got its start in 1966, the poverty rate has stayed roughly level around 11% to 15%. While the portion of people in the United States on Medicaid has skyrocketed from 3% to 29%. Right now, 2.5 times more people are on Medicaid than are in poverty,” he said.

Democrats have cited two new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports to support claims that nearly 14 million Americans could lose health coverage under the House-passed version of the bill.

However, Republicans argue that these estimates are inflated, since the CBO modeled policies that were not fully included in the legislation.

Supporters of the bill emphasize that the reforms are intended to preserve Medicaid for those who truly need it.

These changes include implementing work requirements, improving eligibility verification, and removing illegal immigrants from the program.

“It’s putting some criteria down to say, ‘Hey, if you want this, and you’re not in poverty, you need to work,’” Agresti said.

“You need to do something to better your situation, which is what these programs are supposed to be, lifting people out of poverty, not sticking them there for eternity.”

‘Just Facts’ CEO Jim Agresti debunks Democrat lies about “Medicaid cuts” in the One Big Beautiful Bill:

“The bill doesn’t cut benefits for anyone who has income below the poverty line, anyone who is working at least 20 hours a week… so that narrative has no basis in reality.” pic.twitter.com/DtbKy0MIHP

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 19, 2025

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders has been one of the most vocal critics of the proposal.

He called it a “death sentence for the working class” and argued it would raise health insurance copayments for low-income Americans.

Agresti disputed those assertions.

“First of all, the Big Beautiful Bill does not raise copayments on anyone who’s below the poverty line,” he said.

For those above the poverty line, the bill would require states to implement at least minimal copayments, though it would also reduce the maximum copay from $100 to $35 per visit.

He added that the absence of co-pays for non-poor individuals leads to wasteful spending.

“People have basically free rein to just go to a doctor or an emergency room or any other place without any co-payment, and they’re not in poverty,” Agresti said.

“This has been proven through randomized control trials… they go there for a stuffy nose, rack up all this money, and it does nothing to improve their health. It’s just wasteful.”

Responding to Sanders’ criticisms, Agresti said, “While claiming that I’m ‘incorrect,’ Sanders’ staff fails to provide a single fact that shows the BBB cuts health care for poor working Americans.”

He further noted that people in poverty aren’t eligible for expanded Obamacare subsidies, making the comparison irrelevant.

Sanders’ office responded by highlighting CBO projections estimating that 16 million people could lose coverage due to the end of enhanced ACA tax credits and changes to Medicaid policy.

They also pointed to the bill’s proposed change that would make Medicaid copayments mandatory rather than optional.

“Mr. Agresti seems to believe that a working family of four earning only $32,150 per year doesn’t deserve help affording their health care,” Sanders’ office told Fox News Digital.

“Health care in the United States is more expensive than anywhere in the world.”

Agresti also criticized the notion that Medicaid cannot be reformed without harming those it is meant to serve.

“The Government Accountability Office has put out figures that are astonishing — hundreds of billions of dollars a year are going to waste,” he said.

“This kind of crime is a white-collar crime… committed by fraud, and there’s an enormous amount of it.”

He said the bill attempts to address such abuses by reinstating checks on income and assets.

“A lot of these federal programs… have stopped checking assets. So you could be a lottery winner sitting on $3 million in cash and have very little income, and still get children’s health insurance program benefits for your kids.”

Sen. Josh Hawley expressed qualified support for parts of the bill, including stronger work requirements and tighter enforcement against fraud and ineligible recipients.

However, he raised concerns about the potential impact on his constituents in Missouri.

“These are not people who are sitting around, these are people who are working,” Hawley said.

“They’re on Medicaid because they cannot afford private health insurance, and they don’t get it on the job. And I just think it’s wrong to go to those people and say, ‘Well… we’re going to take away your health care access.’”

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