Trump’s H.R.1 Bill Poised to Reshape Life in Napa County, Officials Say
President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” known as H.R.1, was signed into law on July 4, following weeks of debate and amendments in both the House and Senate.
The sweeping bill, nearly 1,000 pages long, includes massive tax breaks and deep federal spending cuts, and is projected to add approximately $5 trillion to the national debt, according to Rep. Mike Thompson, who represents Napa County. Thompson warns the legislation will have significant consequences for rural communities across the country, including Napa County.
Chief among the concerns are cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) proposed in the new legislation, said Napa County Supervisor Anne Cottrell. The cuts total an estimated $880 billion and $300 billion respectively and will happen over the next 10 years.
The bill also includes cuts to veterans’ benefits and proposes selling off millions of acres of federally owned public land—moves that could affect residents and the region.
In American Canyon, 16% of residents rely on Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. Countywide, one in four households uses Medi-Cal as their primary form of health insurance. Thompson warned that the proposed Medicaid cuts would be devastating to people who rely on the coverage.
Nationwide, approximately 16 million Americans are expected to lose their health insurance under H.R.1, Thompson said.
Hospitals will also bear the brunt of the cuts. The California Hospital Association estimates that facilities in Thompson’s district are estimated to lose up to $1.7 billion in Medicaid funding, which could prompt hospital closures or the reduction of staff and services, according to Thompson.
In turn, individuals would have to travel further for health care, regardless of their insurance.
Thompson warned that with fewer providers and longer distances to travel for care, delayed access could cost lives.
“Added distance to going to get health care could mean life or death,” he said.
The bill also shifts the administrative costs of Medicaid and health services to states and counties. This has the potential to leave counties like Napa responsible for covering expenses associated with federal health programs—costs local officials say they’re not confident they can absorb.
Cottrell said these cost shifts could result in fewer reimbursements to local healthcare providers and force clinics to reduce the services they offer.
Supervisor Belia Ramos echoed similar concerns during a American Canyon City Council meeting in June, calling the bill a serious threat to local families.
“This is going to negatively affect Napa County families in a tremendous way,” Ramos said.
H.R.1 also imposes new work requirements for individuals seeking Medicaid or SNAP benefits, which will create challenges for people who may not be able to easily find a job, according to Jennifer Yasumoto, director of Health and Human Services in Napa County.
“This is all brand new. If you look at Medicaid right now, there is no such requirement,” she said. “Within the next seven months and 18 months these work requirements will be in place.”
Yasumoto added that it’s unknown if there are any kinds of exemptions to the new work requirements, or if activities like job searching will count towards meeting them.
She said that Health and Human Services is prioritizing the creation of programs to help individuals meet work requirements should they need assistance in doing so.
Cuts to SNAP will affect more than 12,000 Napa County residents and 6,500 households that rely on CalFresh, California’s SNAP program.
Of those enrolled, 33% are children and 20% are elderly or disabled adults.
Veterans could also face serious disruptions, Cottrell said. The bill includes cuts to both primary and acute care through the Department of Veterans Affairs, which could reduce access to services at facilities like the Veterans Home of California–Yountville.
“The bill leaves U.S. veterans without the support that they were promised for serving their country,” Cottrell said.
Veterans make up 5.8% of Napa County’s population, many of whom rely on those services, she noted.
The county’s access to protected open space may also be at risk. H.R.1 includes provisions to sell off millions of acres of federally owned public land. Cottrell worries that the 6,287-acre Cedar Roughs Wilderness Area could be among the properties on the chopping block.
In addition to steep cuts, H.R.1 includes significant tax breaks that Thompson argues are tilted toward the wealthy.
“Someone who makes less than $50,000 a year will get 73 cents a day in tax cuts, and someone who makes $1 million a year will get $223 a day in tax cuts,” he said.
In anticipation of H.R.1’s passage, Cottrell said Napa County began working to coordinate with nonprofits and community organizations to prepare for the loss of critical services.
She warned that legislation like H.R.1 erodes the social safety net and destabilizes people’s sense of security, stripping away programs that people’s livelihoods depend on.
Yasumoto emphasized that despite everything going on with the passage of H.R.1, that the community of Napa must move forward with hope.
“Our community needs to know that we are on top of it, and we’re planning, and we intend to mitigate these impacts and provide the maximum support to help people navigate these requirements and changes,” she said.
