Two Bills, One Message: Federal Aid Reshaped Under H.R.1 and H.R.4
- Talya Davis
- Aug 8
- 5 min read
As H.R.1 and H.R.4 become law, sweeping changes to student aid, healthcare, and global funding signal a dramatic shift in federal priorities, with low-income communities likely to bear the brunt.
By Talya Davis
TALLAHASSEE, Fl — In less than a month, President Donald J. Trump signed two landmark bills that dramatically reshape the federal government's role in healthcare, education, foreign aid, and public broadcasting, delivering a one-two punch that supporters call fiscally disciplined and critics condemn as a direct blow to the nation’s most vulnerable.
H.R.1: The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”
On July 4, 2025, a day draped in fireworks and patriotism, President Donald J. Trump signed into law H.R.1, boldly titled the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Branded with Trump’s signature flair, the name signaled a sweeping legislative shift meant to reflect his return to the presidency and redefine the federal government’s priorities.
Designating this legislation as H.R.1 was no accident. Traditionally, the “H.R.1” designation is reserved for a new Congress’s most important bill; a signal of legislative priorities. Coupled with the “big, beautiful” branding and July 4th signing, this move cements the bill as a symbolic rebuke of expansive federal programs and a declaration of renewed conservative ideology.
But behind the celebratory signing and flashy title lies a bill with far-reaching consequences, particularly for vulnerable communities in states like Florida. On July 24, just 20 days after the signing of H.R.1, President Trump signed into law H.R.4, marking a sweeping attempt to reorient domestic and international priorities through deep budget cuts and tightened eligibility for public benefits. Critics warn that the effect of these laws could mark one of the most consequential rollbacks of public support systems in recent history.
Changes to Student Aid
One major provision of H.R.1 targets low-income college students. Starting in July 2026, any student with a Student Aid Index (SAI) exceeding twice the amount of the total maximum Federal Pell Grant will be ineligible for a Pell Grant. This provision, meant to prevent federal money from going to those who don’t need it, restricts the threshold for receiving a Pell Grant, hurting low-income students. Some students who utilize auto-zeroes on their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) fear that they may become ineligible for the maximum Pell Grant in the fall.
H.R.1 increases full-time status to 15 credits instead of 12. It also implies that students who receive aid (including scholarships) that cover their expected Cost of Attendance (COA) may lose eligibility for Pell Grants. Students under eight credits are fully ineligible, unless enrolled in a Workforce Pell program. Educators and student advocates anticipate increased dropout rates and debt loads, especially among first-generation and high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds.
While supporters argue it reduces redundancy and helps redirect funds to those in greater need, education experts warn the change will have numerous drawbacks. Some believe it will eliminate critical support for housing, food, books, and transportation, which most scholarships do not cover. It could also discourage low-income students from pursuing competitive scholarships for fear of losing essential aid, increase student debt, or cause higher dropout rates due to unmet living expenses.
Medicaid Restructuring and Healthcare Impacts
Another one of the most immediate and devastating components of H.R.1 is its changes to Medicaid. According to NPR and the Florida Policy Institute (FPI), the law will strip health coverage from 990,000-1,500,000 Floridians, achieved through policy mechanisms like block grants, per-capita caps, and work requirements.
These changes are projected to disproportionately harm children, seniors in long-term care, and disabled individuals, who account for 77% of individuals in Florida enrolled in Medicaid. When accounting for other cuts to Medicaid, the KFF claims that as many as 2.3 million Floridians will lose Medicaid access.
Healthcare advocates say the bill will lead to more emergency room visits, higher mortality rates, and entrenched inequality, all in the name of budget tightening. As uncompensated care rises, this will inevitably strain hospitals and clinics, particularly in rural areas.
Supporters of H.R.1 frame it as a necessary step toward fiscal responsibility, prioritizing self-sufficiency and the “deserving” over “dependence.” Critics argue that the bill trades evidence-based policy for flashy optics and disproportionately harms already-struggling populations. The effects could be harrowing in Florida, a state with deep healthcare and education access disparities.
H.R.4: The Rescissions Act of 2025
Just three weeks later, on July 24, Trump signed H.R.4, a law that rescinds over $8 billion in previously approved but unspent federal funds. While positioned as a cleanup of “wasteful” or “unnecessary” accounts, the law’s cuts draw fierce backlash from humanitarian, education, and public broadcasting advocates.
Cuts to Health Programs and Public Broadcasting
The largest rescissions target global development and health programs, causing billions to be pulled from development assistance funds. However, protections were carved out for specific programs like Feed the Future Innovation Labs and Food for Peace. It also means billions removed from the Economic Support Fund, and millions rescinded from migration and refugee assistance and global health programs, sparing HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and maternal care, but excluding protections for family planning and reproductive health programs.
The bill also eliminates future funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. This move is expected to severely impact local public radio and television stations, especially those in rural and tribal areas where public media remains a crucial source of community news and education.
Advocates argue the loss of CPB funding will disproportionately hurt small-town stations and at-risk communities. Public broadcasting, they note, has long played a role in emergency communications, civic education, and cultural preservation in underserved regions.
Limiting the Reach of Public Aid
Though they tackle different areas of the federal budget, H.R.1 and H.R.4 reflect the same ideological thrust: reducing the size and scope of public aid programs in favor of cost-cutting and tighter eligibility rules. Supporters see the bills as a necessary correction to decades of “unsustainable spending.” Opponents view them as a systematic rollback of the safety nets that allow low-income Americans to survive, and sometimes thrive in an unequal economy.
Looking Ahead
Students may now face impossible tradeoffs between tuition, rent, and transportation. These bills are more than budget moves for refugee organizations left without funds to support displaced families, and for rural radio stations losing their only lifeline to the airwaves. They are statements about whose futures are worth investing in.
As implementation begins in the 2026 fiscal year, the true impact of these changes will unfold in everyday lives and perhaps in the next election cycle.
Media Contact:
Talya Davis
Works Cited
Alice Burns, J. O. (2025, July 16). How will the 2025 reconciliation bill affect the uninsured rate in each state? allocating CBO’s estimates of coverage loss. KFF. https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/issue-brief/how-will-the-2025-reconciliation-bill-affect-the-uninsured-rate-in-each-state-allocating-cbos-estimates-of-coverage-loss/#:~:text=The%20One%20Big%20Beautiful%20Bill%20Act%20would%20result%20in%20increases,Figure%202
Carrillo, S., Turner, C., & Nadworny, E. (2025, July 18). What the “one big beautiful bill” will change for students, schools and Colleges. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/07/18/nx-s1-5459784/trump-school-college-student
Committee, U. S. J. E. (2025, May 15). New: State-by-state data on health insurance losses from Medicaid, Aca Cuts. NEW: State-by-State Data on Health Insurance Losses from Medicaid, ACA Cuts - NEW: State-by-State Data on Health Insurance Losses from Medicaid, ACA Cuts - United States Joint Economic Committee. https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/democrats/2025/5/state-by-state-data-on-health-insurance-losses-from-medicaid-aca-cuts
Knott, K. (2025). “Big, Beautiful Bill” means big changes for Higher Ed. Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2025/07/04/big-beautiful-bill-means-big-changes-higher-ed?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Text - H.R.1 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): One Big Beautiful Bill Act. (2025, July 4). https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text
Text - H.R.4 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): Rescissions Act of 2025. (2025, July 24). https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4/text
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