To Tom Barrett, July 15, 2025 and responses
Rep Barrett:
I'm wondering if you have any evidence at all that you haven't killed a lot of people with your vote for HR 1? You constantly parrot the GOP party line about how your vote won't affect the people who truly need healthcare. But the non-partisan CBO clearly says otherwise:
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61534
Other analyses put the figure even higher, estimating 17 million people will lose their health insurance:
As best as I can tell, people will die because you voted for H.R. 1. If my view is incorrect, could you please send me the non-partisan studies you relied on when you voted for HR 1? I assume you had some evidence from objective sources not the GOP cant you constantly repeat for those of us who are your constituents. I am asking for the evidence you have that your vote won't kill people.
I look forward to hearing from you regarding this matter.
Barrett responded as follows:
July 17, 2025
Dear Mr. Jackson,Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding your support for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1). This is an important piece of legislation, and I appreciate hearing your thoughts regarding it. On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law. I was proud to support this legislation to prevent the largest tax hike in American history, lower energy costs, and permanently secure our border – all while protecting the integrity of Medicaid and SNAP for those who need them most. This legislation will create thousands of good-paying jobs to boost our economy, ensure the middle class keeps more money in their pockets, and invest in a brighter future for America. H.R. 1 also delivers on promises made to hardworking families and businesses in Michigan: no tax on tips or overtime, permanent tax relief, and an expanded Child Tax Credit. It’s a real, pro-growth policy that will encourage investment in the United States, make American-made cars built in Michigan more affordable, provide significant relief for seniors collecting Social Security benefits, and so much more. For a full list of the wins we secured in the One Big Beautiful Bill and to learn more about what it means for you and your family, please click here. As always, my top priority as your advocate in Congress is to listen to you and lead on solutions you can count on, so please stay in touch. For regular updates on my work in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District and in Washington, D.C., I encourage you to subscribe to my newsletter by clicking here.
My response:
July 18, 2025
Your letter of July 17, 2025 was not responsive to my request of July 15 in any way. If you recall, I linked to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Report that documented the incredible damage to healthcare your vote for the Big "Beautiful" Bill will cause.
My question was: "could you please send me the non-partisan studies you relied on when you voted for HR 1?" Instead I got the evidence-free assertion about how the bill is "protecting the integrity of Medicaid and SNAP for those who need them most." What I asked for, and what you failed to provide, is EVIDENCE for that bare assertion.
Once again, I am asking for the non-partisan rigorous studies you read and relied upon for your vote. I am NOT asking for you to repeat a talking point. Please send me the studies you have to back up that talking point and do not merely repeat it.
I look forward to receiving these materials from you.
John Jackson
Tom Barrett's Response, July 18, 2025
Dear Mr. Jackson,
Thank you for contacting me regarding your opposition to changes to the Medicaid program in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1). This is an important issue, and I appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns with me. The people of mid-Michigan sent me to Congress to do the hard work necessary to lower the cost of living, secure our border, and unleash American energy. Unfortunately, waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal government has stood in the way of achieving those goals for too long, which is why I helped pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that President Trump signed into law on July 4, 2025. This legislation makes long-overdue reforms to the Medicaid program to preserve it for the people it is designed to serve: expectant mothers, children, people with disabilities, and the elderly. It achieves that goal by requiring healthy, able-bodied adults on Medicaid to return to the workforce or do meaningful volunteer work in their community for 80 hours per month. The bill also removes 1.3 million illegal immigrants and 1.6 million active recipients who have either died or are enrolled in multiple states. The reality is that, despite these changes, Medicaid spending in the United States of America is projected to increase. This only underscores the need for Congress to act and save this program that has grown uncontrollably in recent years. I ultimately supported this legislation because it will create thousands of good-paying jobs to boost our economy, ensure the middle class keeps more money in their pockets, and invest in a brighter future for America. It also delivers on promises made to hardworking families and businesses in Michigan: no tax on tips or overtime, permanent tax relief, an expanded Child Tax Credit, and more. It’s pro-family, pro-growth policy that I’m confident will make a real difference in the lives of people across the country. While we may disagree on this issue, I want to thank you again for contacting me. My top priority as your advocate in Congress is to listen to you and lead on solutions you can count on, so please stay in touch. For regular updates on my work in Washington, D.C., I encourage you to subscribe to my newsletter by clicking here.
My response, July 19, 2025
In response to your letter to me dated July 18: Does anyone read the emails your office receives? I am asking for specific information and you are replying with potted answers that are no way responsive to my request.
I am asking for the BASIS of your vote to deny healthcare to millions of Americans. You are responding with empty claims about your beliefs about what HR 1 will accomplish, You are not providing me with the evidence for those claims.
What you HAVE told me indicates that you based your vote on lies and misinformation. You make a claim about "1.3 million illegal immigrants and 1.6 million active recipients who have either died or are enrolled in multiple states" that the bill removes from healthcare. Where did you get those numbers? As far as I can tell, you got them from a Trump Truth Social post that Trump simply made up:
https://www.factcheck.org/2025/05/a-false-claim-about-illegal-immigration-and-medicaid/
I pointed you toward the CBO study that denies Trump's imaginary numbers. To show you what REAL evidence looks like, read this Penn study that shows you killed 51,000 people with your vote: https://ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/research-updates/research-memo-projected-mortality-impacts-of-the-budget-reconciliation-bill/
Once again, I ask you: what non-partisan, objective evidence did you consult before you cast your vote to deny healthcare to millions of Americans?