Many say Trumps big beautiful bill will devastate Oaklanders. But what does Barbara Lee think?

President Donald Trump signed a controversial tax bill that local officials and advocates warn will significantly harm Oakland and Alameda County residents. The legislation proposes $4. 5 trillion in tax cuts and deep cuts to social services, including nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade. Critics like Congresswoman Lateefah Simon estimate that approximately 40,000 people in her district could lose their healthcare coverage as a result. The bill also tightens SNAP work requirements, potentially threatening food assistance for many families, with an estimated 16,000 residents at risk of losing support.

Local leaders, such as Assemblymember Mia Bonta, have labeled the bill “devastating,” while Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas called it a “moral failure. ” Mayor Barbara Lee, a former Congress member, remains silent on the issue, raising concerns about her lack of response. The impacts of the legislation are expected to materialize after the upcoming midterm elections, leaving residents and advocates anxious about the future of essential services. Health care providers, like Dr. Noha Aboelata, criticize the bill's changes as “completely inefficient and cruel,” indicating a looming public health crisis.