Below is the paraphrased text:
In a recent interview, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg criticized the impact of President Trump’s "One Big Beautiful Bill," signed into law in 2025. The bill enacts sweeping cuts to Medicaid and weather services, raising concerns about the potential harm to vulnerable populations and critical public services.
Regarding Medicaid, the bill enacts nearly $1 trillion in cuts over a decade, introducing federal work requirements for Medicaid recipients—80 hours a month in community engagement—that could lead to approximately 12 million people losing coverage. The Medicaid changes also result in states having to reduce programs or shoulder a greater financial burden, with significant reductions projected despite Medicaid being a joint federal-state program with varying federal matching rates by state[1][2][3].
Buttigieg’s comments emphasized the potential negative impact of these cuts on low-income Americans who rely on Medicaid for healthcare coverage. The work requirements and coverage losses are widely seen as controversial, potentially increasing the uninsured population by nearly 12 million by 2034[2][3].
In addition to Medicaid, the bill cuts funding to weather services. Buttigieg, as a former transportation secretary concerned with infrastructure and public safety, would likely view cuts to weather services as detrimental to public safety and emergency preparedness, impacting forecasting and response capabilities. The specific details on the impact of these cuts are not explicitly stated, but Buttigieg's criticism suggests that they could compromise public safety functions related to weather forecasting and emergency response.
Buttigieg used the example of the city of South Bend, Indiana, to demonstrate how data and forecasting from the National Weather Service helped prepare and save lives during flooding incidents. However, the cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's budget, as criticized by Buttigieg, were made despite the devastating flood in Texas that killed at least 104 people this week.
Buttigieg argued that the cuts to health care will result in increased costs for the health care system and potentially loss of life. He also criticized Sen. Cruz and other Republicans who are skeptical about climate change, stating that their actions are not defensible and represent a hard-right ideology run amok.
HuffPost, celebrating 20 years of free journalism, has committed to providing unflinching, fact-based journalism to readers. In light of these critical changes, HuffPost is seeking continued support from readers to help them maintain their mission of providing truthful and unbiased news.
[1] Medicaid Work Requirements: What They Are and Where They Stand, Kaiser Family Foundation, [https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-work-requirements-what-they-are-and-where-they-stand/] [2] The Impact of Medicaid Work Requirements, Urban Institute, [https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/impact-medicaid-work-requirements] [3] Medicaid Work Requirements: What They Are and Why They Matter, National Academy for State Health Policy, [https://www.nashp.org/medicaid-work-requirements-what-they-are-and-why-they-matter/]
- The cuts to Medicaid enacted by the "One Big Beautiful Bill" could lead to approximately 12 million people losing healthcare coverage, raising concerns about the potential harm to vulnerable populations, especially low-income Americans.
- Buttigieg, as a former transportation secretary, criticized the cuts to weather services in the bill, stating that these could compromise public safety functions related to weather forecasting and emergency response.
- The bill's cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's budget were made despite the devastating flood in Texas that resulted in at least 104 deaths, highlighting the potential impact of such cuts on environmental-science and General-news aspects like emergency preparedness and response.
- Beyond Medicaid and weather services, Buttigieg also argued that the bill's cuts to health care will result in increased costs for the health care system and potentially loss of life, a criticism he directed towards Republicans who are skeptical about climate change.
- In a time when accurate and unbiased news is crucial, HuffPost, celebrating 20 years of free journalism, is seeking continued support from readers to maintain their mission of providing truthful and unbiased news.
