Virginia Rep. Jen Kiggans made a social media video defending the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but she misrepresented what the legislation will actually do.
The bill narrowly passed the House of Representatives on May 23 with only Republican votes. It would impose sweeping cuts in federal spending, notably to Medicaid, to help extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. The bill is now being debated by the U.S. Senate.
“What this bill does is to strengthen and reform Medicaid,” Kiggans said in the video. “We want to make sure that it’s going to the people who need it the most.”
Kiggans specifically celebrated work requirements in the bill, which she claimed will ensure that able-bodied adults are not receiving Medicaid benefits undeservedly.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) sees things differently. According to its analysis, 7.6 million people would lose Medicaid coverage under the bill—and only about half of those losses would be because of work requirements.
The work requirements also do not specify how eligibility will be determined. Individuals with disabilities or substance abuse disorders may lose access to Medicaid while they go through the process of proving their eligibility. Seasonal workers and self-employed individuals may lose access as well.
“A huge percentage of Medicaid recipients are children—disabled children who use Medicaid to get the wheelchair they need to attend school,” Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine told MSNBC. “Children, seniors in nursing homes, moms on the verge of delivery—we’re going to impose work requirements on them? Are you kidding?”
The bill also allows Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire. The CBO says this change, along with cuts to Medicaid, could result in 13.7 million Americans total losing health insurance.
Kiggans also celebrated provisions in the bill that claim to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime pay, auto loans, and Social Security benefits. The effect of these changes, however, may be limited.
The no tax on tips provision applies only to cash tips. Electronic tips will still be taxed as regular income by the IRS. In 2023, 84% of restaurant transactions were cashless. Workers will still be required to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on their tips as well.
The claim that the bill eliminates taxes on Social Security benefits—which was one of President Donald Trump’s campaign pledges—is also misleading. The bill would give seniors on Social Security an extra tax deduction, but it would be temporary and would only apply to middle-income earners.
Kiggans was elected to a second term in 2024. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which works to elect Democrats to Congress, has identified Kiggans as a vulnerable incumbent in 2026.
Trump and Republicans hope to sign the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law on July 4.
