At the heart of American identity lies a solemn promise: that those who serve the nation in uniform will be honored, protected and supported upon their return.
But with the recent enactment of the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB), this promise has been forsaken by both the so-called commander-in-chief and those members of Congress who now predictably and blindly follow his orders, legal or otherwise.
At the heart of American identity lies a solemn promise: that those who serve the nation in uniform will be honored, protected and supported upon their return.
But with the recent enactment of the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB), this promise has been forsaken by both the so-called commander-in-chief and those members of Congress who now predictably and blindly follow his orders, legal or otherwise.
When a country turns a blind eye to the health and welfare of its armed forces, it not only diminishes the hopes and well-being of its soldiers and sailors, the nation soils its moral authority to call for and rely upon the service of those men and women who protect and defend our liberty at home and abroad.
Much of the public defense of the Big Beautiful Bill is deceptive, namely that its primary purpose and focus is to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse. In spite of that sleight-of-hand distraction, the truth is that the new law cuts vital safety net programs, like Medicaid and the Supplemental Assistance Program (SNAP), for those most in need in order to provide larger and more tax reductions for the wealthy.
And, in so doing, the bill adds $3.4 trillion to the national debt in a reckless act of fiscal insanity.
Those veterans who require the added safety net of Medicaid and SNAP struggle with the most severe issues, including service-connected disabilities, often from direct combat, medical illnesses and myriad complications stemming from prolonged physical and/or psychological injuries.
America’s veterans are not a monolithic population. They are combat-wounded heroes, survivors of trauma, both visible and invisible, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends and neighbors striving to reintegrate into civilian life.
They are also, statistically, more likely to struggle with chronic health conditions, disabilities and economic insecurity. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, as of 2024, there are 16.2 million veterans in America, of which 5.5 million are disabled.
In Montana there are 85,000 veterans, the third highest percentage by population of veterans in the United States. Sadly, approximately 30,000 of those “wounded warriors” suffer from service-connected disabilities.
Through Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Congress had, prior to the passage of the Big, Beautiful Bill, created a critical safety net for veterans – one that helps bridge gaps in health care, sustenance and dignity. The Big Beautiful Bill, however, mandates sweeping Medicaid cuts of approximately $1 billion and imposes eligibility and work requirements that now threaten to unravel the veterans’ safety net.
The consequences will be “big,” but absolutely nothing about it will be beautiful.
The numbers paint a stark picture. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, one out of four low-income veterans rely on at least one public assistance program, with SNAP and Medicaid being the most prevalent. More than 1.75 million veterans rely on Medicaid, including 340,000 who do not qualify for Veterans Administration health coverage.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that as many as 1.2 million veterans depend on SNAP to keep food on their tables, but the BBB’s new eligibility requirements could force an untold number of veterans off these programs, either through direct cutoffs or new bureaucratic hurdles.
For the severely disabled, the new Medicaid work requirements and the caps on benefits pose an existential threat. A large proportion of disabled veterans have conditions – such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, or PTSD – that make full-time employment impossible.
The Disabled American Veterans warns that rural or homeless vets may lack access to qualifying work or programs, and that “burdensome eligibility checks … could cause coverage losses or reduced utilization.”
These individuals are at heightened risk of losing their Medicaid coverage under the BBB’s provisions, which would require them to repeatedly prove their disability status and navigate complex, paperwork-heavy bureaucracies.
Stripping away Medicaid and SNAP support from veterans is not just a policy choice – it’s a betrayal of a sacred obligation.
Marc Racicot is the former Montana Attorney General and Governor. A prior version of this opinion piece was published in Stars and Stripes.