The impact of Trump's sweeping tax bill in Oregon
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President Trump's tax and spending bill, signed into law last week, will have far-reaching implications for Oregonians who rely on Medicaid and government food assistance.
Why it matters: New federal work requirements and benefit cuts could push up to 200,000 Oregonians off Medicaid and reduce food support for even more families.
Zoom in: The law requires most adults ages 18 to 64 to work or volunteer at least 80 hours per month to keep Medicaid coverage, known in Oregon as the Oregon Health Plan.
- Roughly 40% of Oregon Health Plan recipients will face more frequent eligibility checks, and the state must spend at least $100 million on implementation, the Oregon Health Authority told OPB.
- New restrictions on how state and local taxes are used to fund Medicaid could also result in more than $11 billion in lost federal and state revenue over the next decade.
The bill also imposes work requirements on SNAP recipients, of which there are more than 42 million nationwide.
- The program provides support for families with low-paying jobs, low-income older adults, people with disabilities and others.
- In Oregon, more than 750,000 people receive food benefits, with more than half of participants in families with children.
What they're saying: Gov. Tina Kotek said the state would not be able to fill in the gap left by such drastic cuts to the social safety net.
- "Every dollar stripped from these services and put towards the top 1% is a moral failure," Kotek said in a written statement.
The other side: The White House contends that 4.8 million able-bodied adults are choosing not to work and said before the bill's passage that work requirements "will strengthen the system to better help those most in need of assistance."