Echoes of Appalachia

The “Big Beautiful Bill” has been promoted as a bold step toward economic revival, promising new jobs, improved infrastructure, and prosperity for struggling regions like Appalachia. But beneath these shiny promises lies a troubling reality: this legislation largely caters to wealthy corporations and investors while cutting critical support systems that millions of Appalachian families depend on. Rather than lifting up working-class communities, the bill threatens to deepen inequality and economic hardship in the region.

One of the most damaging aspects of the bill is its plan to cut Medicaid funding. Appalachia has some of the highest rates of poverty and chronic illness in the country, and Medicaid is a lifeline for many families who rely on it for access to healthcare. Reducing Medicaid funding will mean fewer people can get essential medical care, from preventative services to treatment for opioid addiction—a crisis that has devastated many Appalachian communities. These cuts threaten to increase health disparities, worsen outcomes, and place additional burdens on already struggling families.

In addition to healthcare, the bill proposes significant reductions to SNAP benefits—the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that helps low-income families afford groceries. Food insecurity remains a serious issue in Appalachia, where many families live paycheck to paycheck or rely on government assistance to meet basic needs. Cutting SNAP benefits would not only increase hunger and malnutrition but also strain local economies, since SNAP dollars are spent in small grocery stores and markets that are vital to rural communities.

While critical social safety nets face cuts, the bill funnels massive tax breaks and subsidies to wealthy corporations and wealthy investors. These incentives encourage large-scale projects, but the resulting jobs often go to outside contractors or are highly automated positions that provide little long-term employment for Appalachian workers. Small businesses—the backbone of many Appalachian towns—see little direct help, and public services remain underfunded.

The infrastructure investments included in the bill may sound promising but come with strings attached. Much of the funding is directed through private-public partnerships that prioritize profit margins over community needs. This means that projects often favor more affluent or accessible areas, bypassing the poorest Appalachian counties that need investment the most. Moreover, the bill relaxes environmental regulations, threatening Appalachia’s natural landscapes and health. The region depends heavily on its environment for tourism and agriculture, and careless development could undermine these vital sectors.

Appalachia faces a complex set of challenges—from economic disenfranchisement to limited healthcare access and environmental degradation. Addressing these requires thoughtful policies focused on investing in local businesses, expanding education and workforce development, protecting healthcare programs like Medicaid, and safeguarding food security through programs like SNAP. Sustainable development that respects the environment is also crucial for long-term economic health.

Instead of prioritizing these needs, the “Big Beautiful Bill” appears to cater largely to wealthy interests, offering temporary or precarious benefits to Appalachia’s working families while cutting the supports they rely on most. Without a shift toward policies that genuinely empower Appalachian communities and protect their resources, this bill risks exacerbating existing inequalities and leaving the region behind. This entire bill is designed to hurt poor people, shut down rural hospitals, and cut Medicaid by nearly $1 trillion dollars. People also need to research how the poor will pay more in taxes than the wealthy. Why do you keep putting these people into office? Why do you keep causing self-harm? Educating yourself is the only way to understand what they are doing in this bill. Last night, they forced the bill to be read, nearly 1000 pages so that you will know and understand what is getting ready to happen.

Appalachia deserves more than empty promises and giveaways to the wealthy. It needs real investment in its people, health, and environment to build a future where all its residents can thrive.

-Tim Carmichael