A Wisconsin professor called the new federal tax cut and spending bill a "defining piece of legislation," which ultimately tested Republican lawmakers' loyalty to President Donald Trump. The question now is, what effect will it have on their own political futures?
It has been more than two weeks since Trump signed his "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" into law and the nation is still combing through all it entails.
Barry Burden, professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the effects of the bill's most controversial parts like changes to Medicaid and SNAP will not be felt until after the next midterm election. He argued it is fair to think the timing is strategic.
"It's almost certain that there were Republicans saying, ‘Look, this is going to hurt me back in my state or district as I try to win reelection next year. Can we please put off the pain for the Medicaid recipients and the SNAP recipients until after the midterms?’" Burden observed.
Burden pointed out the vote became a decision on whether to support the president rather than a focus on the bill’s merits. Democrats have already seized on the opportunity to target their GOP colleagues' seats in next year's midterms, including Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., and Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis.
Both Van Orden and Steil continue to face criticism for supporting drastic cuts to the safety net programs their constituents rely on. Burden noted while the attention was primarily focused on tax cuts and Medicaid, many elements of the bill were not thoroughly scrutinized. He thinks the nation will continue to discover consequences of the new law for years.
"It's common for Congress nowadays to pass omnibus bills that are really large budget packages and it's difficult for any member of Congress to keep track of all the things that are there," Burden acknowledged. "But this was one of those omnibus bills on steroids."
Many provisions did not get any discussion on the House or Senate floor, like a $40 million "National Garden of American Heroes" sculpture park. Burden stressed Trump's pressure to sign the bill by July 4 was a key factor in getting it passed.
"Since President Trump took office in January, there's been very little legislating, almost no bills passed through the House and Senate and sent to President Trump's desk," Burden emphasized. "This was one. This was a hallmark piece of legislation. It's going to be a defining piece of legislation in next year's midterms."
