July 3, 2025
As soon as I hit ‘send’ on my last note the information (below) arrived from the National Council. Thorn Run Partners (one of several government relations firms employed by the National Council) has prepared an expanded summary (see link in second paragraph) that is clear and detailed. I don’t see dates for implementation but I’ll grab that info as soon as I can find it.
Our work is not over! Additional negotiations are taking place in Congress right now, with the need to pass FFY 2026 spending bills this fall. These will give us opportunities to fight back and work to protect human needs from more draconian cuts, grant terminations, federal agency consolidations and reductions in critical substance use disorder and mental health block grants that are the difference for so many New Yorkers and the agencies that serve them.
And as the NYS Council has been messaging for months, our advocacy that was primarily focused on federal action must now pivot to target state lawmakers and other state decision makers. The Legislature will need to return to Albany shortly and we must keep a laser focus on protecting our core programs and services in the days and weeks ahead.
We need to:
- Push New York State to shield critical programs wherever possible from the fallout of this federal action
- Mobilize around state-level solutions that protect Medicaid, housing, food assistance, and much more.
- Demand accountability from those who voted for this bill and prepare for broader advocacy efforts going into 2026
———- Forwarded message ———
From: National Council for Mental Wellbeing <Communications@thenationalcouncil.org>
Date: Thu, Jul 3, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Subject: OBBB Act Passed by Congress, Going to President’s Desk
To: <lauri@nyscouncil.org>
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Dear Members, Today, July 3, the House of Representatives passed the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, which is expected to be signed into law by President Trump Friday, July 4. The new law will result in significant federal Medicaid funding reductions over the next decade, which are expected to have wide-scale, negative impacts in every state.The House made no substantive changes to the version of the bill that passed the Senate on Tuesday, July 1. Please see a topline summary of health care provisions in the bill, and this expanded summary, which features a side by side look at the Senate-passed text compared to the original House version from May. We released a public statement on the House passage and will follow up next week with additional analysis.The scale of the funding reductions and new administrative burdens is immense. But it is also important to recognize that some last-minute changes made to the bill in the past week provide an opening for further advocacy efforts that could potentially mitigate some of the impacts. Most relevant provisions of the bill will not take effect immediately, and in some cases, the effects will be phased in gradually over the course of several years. In addition, several provisions require agency rulemaking for full implementation, and there will likely be opportunities for you to engage through the notice and comment process. These provisions are due, in no small part, to your extraordinary advocacy efforts. Over the past few months, you helped make over 40,000 contacts with members of Congress via phone calls, letters, and story submissions. You spoke to the press and wrote opinion editorials and letters to the editor. Many of you met directly with members of Congress or their staff in-district to show the negative impact of these cuts, and some of you even traveled to Washington, D.C., to further hammer these points home.It was an exceptional effort, and you should feel proud of how you contributed.We are immensely grateful for the work you do and to represent you. This bill has passed, but our work is not done. Our attention now turns to strategies to mitigate the impacts to you and everyone you serve. The National Council is with you every step of the way. With gratitude,The National Council |