1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

As a pediatrician and constituent, I’m writing to express my deep opposition to the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” While it is being promoted as comprehensive reform, this legislation would cause devastating harm to the children and families I care for every day—especially through sweeping cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and healthcare subsidies. It is painful—both professionally and personally—to imagine the long-term consequences of this bill. When children lose access to medical care and adequate nutrition, they do not just fall behind temporarily. They suffer lifelong setbacks in development, educational achievement, and overall well-being. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office: • Nearly $800 billion in Medicaid cuts are projected over the next decade. This would result in up to 7.8 million people losing Medicaid, including millions of children, who make up a large portion of enrollees. • SNAP would be cut by $267–295 billion, removing nutrition support from 4–4.7 million participants per month, including more than 2 million children. • Up to 16 million students could lose access to free school meals, further threatening childhood nutrition and academic success. • These cuts disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, even as high-income households would gain an average of $12,000 annually, compared to a $1,600 loss for low-income families. • Ironically, even with these deep cuts, the bill would still increase the federal deficit by $2.4 trillion over ten years. In my clinical experience, a child with asthma who can’t afford her inhaler, or a baby who misses checkups because her parents lost Medicaid, isn’t just a statistic. She’s a life disrupted by policies that put politics ahead of health. I urge you to stand firmly against this legislation and protect the programs that allow children to grow up healthy, nourished, and ready to learn. Please reject the "Big Beautiful Bill" and work toward solutions that truly reflect our values as a nation that cares for its young.