New polling finds voters unconvinced the law has improved their finances, as cuts to Medicaid and SNAP hit women and families especially hard.

It’s been over a year since President Donald Trump signed the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill (HR 1) into law—a sweeping 2025 budget-reconciliation package that extends and expands tax cuts, funds defense and immigration enforcement, cuts or restructures major safety-net programs, rolls back some clean-energy spending, and raises the federal debt limit.

Trump and congressional Republicans promised the bill would provide economic relief for American families. New polling suggests the legislation has failed to win over the public, with many voters saying the law has done little to improve their financial situations, while others remain unsure what the bill does at all. 

According to a recent POLITICO/Public First poll, the legislation remains broadly unpopular, despite months of Republican messaging promoting its economic benefits.

Nearly half of respondents said they either knew little about the law or could not explain what it does. Only 11 percent said they could explain the bill in detail.

Among those familiar with the legislation, many believe it primarily benefits wealthy Americans rather than working families. 

The poll also found that just 8 percent of respondents said the law had given them a major financial boost, while roughly one-third said it had hurt their bottom line. Additionally, 34 percent said the legislation provides some tax cuts that ultimately serve to conceal larger tax breaks for wealthy Americans, reinforcing criticism that the law prioritizes corporations and high-income earners over everyday families. 

Skepticism about the legislation extends to Trump’s own supporters. Only around one-quarter of people who voted for Trump in the 2024 election believe the working class received substantial tax relief under the law. Republican messaging around the bill has struggled to resonate even with a key part of the president’s political base. 

Among Republicans, 48 percent said the war had increased costs, including 46 percent of self-identified MAGA Trump supporters and 55 percent of non-MAGA Trump supporters. The widespread perception that costs have risen  presents another obstacle for Trump as he seeks to defend his economic record ahead of the 2026 midterms. 

The survey also examined voters’ perceptions of the economic effects of the recent conflict with Iran. Across nearly every demographic group, a majority of respondents, averaging 57 percent, said the war has made everyday expenses more costly. 

For women and families, the stakes extend far beyond political messaging. The law includes sweeping cuts to SNAP that millions of women, children, seniors and people with disabilities rely on for food assistance. Over 4 million people are no longer receiving food aid because of Trump’s changes to SNAP. 

The bill also made the largest cuts to Medicaid in the program’s history, making women especially vulnerable as they make up the majority of adult Medicaid enrollees. Millions of women rely on Medicaid for pregnancy and postpartum care, preventive services, and long-term health care. These cuts threaten access to essential health services for millions of women and their families. Rather than delivering the financial relief Republicans promised, the legislation has raised costs and reduced access to critical services, a combination that clearly isn’t resonating with the American public.

The findings present a growing political challenge for Republicans as they head into the 2026 midterm elections. Despite continued efforts to frame the legislation as an economic success, many voters remain unconvinced that the law has improved their lives. As Americans continue to face rising costs and reduced access to programs that support working families, the administration’s signature domestic policy is increasingly becoming a political liability rather than the legislative victory Republicans hoped it would be.

This story was originally published by the Feminist Majority (publisher of Ms.), “Americans Reject Trump’s ‘Big Ugly Law’ as Women and Families Pay the Price.”

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