Farce of July - "One Big Beautiful Bill" Is a Big Betrayal of Students and Families," by Enrique Murillo, Ph.D.

 Friends,

A must-read. Since we the playing field is not level, Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill"—that I term, "Trump’s Monstrous Disaster Bill," will make things worse.

Black, Brown, and Indigenous folks need to be prepared as the worst is yet to come, beginning with the implementation of this bill. 

What do you think? I'm super concerned.

-Angela

Farce of July - "One Big Beautiful Bill" Is a Big Betrayal of Students and Families

by 

Enrique Murillo, Ph.D.

As millions prepare to celebrate USA's 249th birthday this Fourth of July, families across the country are asking: What are we celebrating when our children’s futures are being stolen in plain sight?

With the narrow passage of H.R. 1 — misleadingly named the “One Big Beautiful Bill” — Congress has launched the most aggressive assault on education, economic mobility, and family well-being in modern U.S. history. The president is expected to sign it on Independence Day.

But for millions of Latino families, this holiday will not be a celebration. It will be a mourning — for the opportunities denied, the futures jeopardized, and the values betrayed.

A Direct Attack on Latino Students and Their Futures

H.R. 1 is not education reform — it’s education sabotage. It dismantles the very policies and programs that have helped Latino students and first-generation families succeed. Among its most damaging provisions:

Slashing Higher Education Support

• Eliminates income-driven student loan repayment plans, forcing Latino students — many of whom are the first in their families to attend college — into higher monthly payments and longer debt timelines.
• Cuts federal loans for graduate students and caps borrowing, making advanced degrees out of reach for thousands.
• Guts funding for first-generation college access programs, including TRIO and GEAR UP, which are essential for students navigating college without family experience or financial support.

Undermining K–12 Public Education

• Creates a massive federal voucher scheme that takes billions from public schools and sends them to private schools — often out of reach for Latino families and free from accountability.
• Cuts billions from the U.S. Department of Education, threatening after-school programs, bilingual education, and special education services that serve millions of Latino students.

Devaluing Early Childhood Education

• Bans federal student loans for early childhood educators — a field where Latinas make up a large percentage of the workforce — under the false claim that low wages equal low value.
• Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP will drive many early educators — 43% of whom rely on food assistance — out of the field, reducing quality and access for Latino children.

Crippling Latino Family Support

• Caps the Child Tax Credit at $2,200, and excludes 2.6 million U.S. citizen Latino children because their parents are undocumented.
• Slashes SNAP and school meal programs, affecting over 13 million children, many in Latino-majority school districts.
• Cuts over $1 trillion from health programs, threatening insurance coverage for more than 4 million Latinos — the largest coverage loss in the community’s history.

Not Just a Policy — A Message

This bill doesn’t just take away resources. It sends a message: that Latino children don’t matter. That their education, their dreams, and their families are expendable.

“This is the Great American Heist,” said Denise Forte, CEO of The Education Trust. “It robs students and families of financial aid, healthcare, food, and the promise of a better life. It puts the American Dream out of reach for those working hardest to achieve it.”

“The House has chosen cruelty over compassion,” added Janet Murguía, President of UnidosUS. “They have turned their backs on Latino families who trusted them to lead with integrity.”

But Here’s What They Can’t Take

They cannot take the truth that Latino families have always fought for liberty — and continue to fight for it every day.

We fight for our kids to go further than we did.

We fight to keep them healthy, fed, and educated — even when the system works against us.

We know that our labor, our love, and our hope have built this country — and we will continue to build a better one.

This Fourth of July, We Remember What We’re Fighting For

• Liberty that includes indigenous and immigrant families, not just the privileged.
• Education that uplifts every child, not just the wealthy.
• A future where our children can dream without fear — and thrive with dignity.

Stay safe, comunidad. Stay strong. Stay vocal.

We will not forget this betrayal. And we will not stop fighting.

¡La lucha sigue!