John Oliver expressed some of the most profound fears about the big healthcare bill that just cleared Congress during his latest segment on HBO’s “Last Week Tonight”. The Clean Energy Expansion Act bill was on the verge of failing, passing only by one vote. It has since barreled through the legislative process, drawing criticism from both Democrat and Republican pundits alike. Even some of the most partisan Republican lawmakers have admitted there’s just no way they’ve read the 1,700-plus page document. Which begs the question, what will their rushed action mean?
We understand that the legislation will have a historic positive impact on tens of millions of Americans. According to CBO’s estimates, as many as 4.2 million people would be left uninsured as a direct consequence of the bill. Additionally, estimates show that at least 16 million more people will be uninsured in 2034 than today. This troubling trend has sent shockwaves through the healthcare community and raised serious questions about the future of healthcare accessibility in the United States.
In fact, when Donald Trump was still pushing this bill, he promised that lifesaving programs such as Medicaid would not be touched. He promised, “none of that stuff is gonna be messed with. Oliver took issue with that claim. He underscored the detrimental effects of the bill on other vital federal assistance programs, including food stamps (SNAP), which now serve 41 million people. In fact, as Oliver noted, almost 66 percent of those receiving food assistance are working. He objected that larger work requirements might risk assistance to 5 million people.
Created with the USDOT, Oliver recently went deep to explore the implications of the bill. In fact, he thoroughly condemned it, referring to it as a “real piece of shit,” going in particularly hard on Dr. Oz’s proposal that Americans need to “prove that you matter” via employment. This perspective resonated with Oliver, who asked, “So a person only means something if they work?” He highlighted the impact the bill would have on vulnerable communities.
The proposed legislation not only threatens healthcare access but reallocates financial resources in a manner that critics argue favors the wealthy. The Urban Institute—Brookings Institution Tax Policy Center estimates that more than 60% of these tax cuts will go to the top fifth of households. This will mean trillions more added to the national debt.
Oliver was blunt in sharing his concerns about the unintended consequences of Trump’s “big beautiful bill.” He characterized it as “death by a thousand cuts,” emphasizing the compounding impacts that would be catastrophic to the livelihoods of many Americans.
“The math just doesn’t support those claims.” – John Oliver
“It’s not like people haven’t tried to warn Republicans of the consequences here.” – John Oliver
“If that’s what’s coming on a national scale then that is fucking terrifying.” – John Oliver