Senator Liu, Congresswoman Grace Meng Host Roundtable: What Trump’s "Big Beautiful Bill" Really Means for Our Community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2025
Contact: Soojin Choi | press@johnliusenate.com | 347-556-6335

Flushing, NY – Congresswoman Grace Meng and State Senator John Liu today hosted a roundtable at Glow Cultural Center in Flushing to discuss the impact of President Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” a federal budget that will have dire consequences on New York City, particularly with regard to the health and well-being of New Yorkers.

While the White House touts tax cuts, the real impact of the bill is sweeping cuts to long-standing programs like the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, SNAP, and other life-saving healthcare services, with only the wealthiest Americans benefiting from the tax cuts. 

State Senator John Liu stated, “From vindictive cuts to Medicaid to SNAP benefits and other provisions we all pay for in federal taxes, this bad, ugly bill hurts an enormous number of people in our community and provides zero tax relief to 99% of Queens residents. The Trump administration has taken from us with their left hand, and taken from us again with their right hand. It’s important that we set the record straight about what New Yorkers can really expect from Trump’s budget boondoggle.”

Congresswoman Grace Meng stated, “The Republican majority has called its budget legislation the big beautiful bill. But I and many of my colleagues call it the big ugly bill because of the damage it will do, and over the last several weeks, I’ve sounded the alarm about the harmful effect it will have in New York and across the country. These include the catastrophic impact that cuts to Medicaid will have across Queens including to borough residents, our local healthcare system, nursing homes and more. This bill will also take food out of the mouths of hard-working Queens families who rely on SNAP to put food on the table. Slashing these crucial funds is cruel and unacceptable. I support cutting government waste and rooting out fraud and abuse. But this is providing huge tax breaks to the wealthiest people in our country and to big corporations, and doing so on the backs of the lower income and the middle class in Queens as well as to communities throughout the nation. I won't stop fighting for our local families and protecting access to affordable health care, combating hunger and ensuring the chance for everybody to achieve the American dream.”

Analysts report that the Big, Beautiful Bill will actually be the biggest healthcare cut in our nation’s history, putting 1.5 million New Yorkers at risk of losing their health insurance. It will threaten SNAP benefits for 1 million New Yorkers, and cut $8 billion from our hospitals and health systems, with some of the worst cuts in the state happening right here in Queens.

The roundtable featured subject matter experts from Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Chinese-American Planning Council, Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Healthcare Education Project, and Flushing Hospital.

Kaushal Challa, CEO of Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, stated, “There will be significant implications of President Trump’s 'Big Beautiful Bill' for our health center and the communities we serve. The introduction of Medicaid work requirements and more frequent eligibility redeterminations will lead to many adults in the Medicaid expansion population losing access to vital healthcare services. We anticipate that some may lose coverage simply because they are unaware of the new requirements or encounter obstacles related to language or literacy. It’s crucial for our community to remain vigilant and not lose coverage due to fear or the challenges of re-certifying. To support our patients, we will continue to provide assistance through our insurance navigators and staff who can help them understand and navigate these enrollment steps.”

Dr. Andrew Rubin, Director of Community & Intergovernmental Affairs, MediSys Health Network, stated, "According to the Hospital Association of New York State, hospitals stand to face steep losses under this bill, and some will even be forced to close their doors. HANYS estimates significant job losses due to billions of losses in economic activity. It's very dangerous to the entire healthcare system, and we will be depending on our voices in Congress and representatives of every level of government to make sure our healthcare system is continuing to best serve our patients, employees, and communities.”

Myoungmi Kim, CEO of Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, stated, “Korean Community Services has long stood at the center of the Korean and AAPI communities, serving as a vital bridge for low-income residents and their families to access food and nutrition, healthcare, and essential support. We are deeply concerned about the so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ which threatens the health and economic stability of New York’s most vulnerable populations - especially seniors and children. Cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and safety-net hospitals will widen existing inequities and undo decades of progress in community health. We thank our local leaders for highlighting the devastating consequences this bill would have, particularly here in Queens.”

Carlyn Cowen, Chief Policy and Public Affairs Officer at Chinese-American Planning Council, stated, “For 60 years, the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) has helped Asian American, immigrant and low-income New Yorkers access the services and resources they need to thrive. SNAP, Medicaid, our safety net hospitals, and other public benefits have been lifelines for our communities, and the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will decimate these lifelines. We are already seeing community members who are worried about how they will feed their families and get lifesaving medications. Our State government will be a crucial line of defense for our communities, and we thank our colleagues in government for their leadership on this issue.”

Kirk Adams, Executive Director of the Healthcare Education Project, stated, “The Healthcare Education Project strongly opposes the bill which will see costs go up for working families and tremendous damage inflicted on New York’s healthcare system. We are working within communities statewide to protect New Yorkers from the devastating impact of this bill.”