¶ Overview
In 2025, Bobby Charles supported Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which was estimated to kick 17 million Americans off their health insurance, including nearly 12 million Americans who rely on Medicaid. Experts found that Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” and the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits would result in 33,000 Mainers becoming uninsured by 2034. The bill was projected to leave more than 57,300 Mainers without health care coverage by 2034.
In 2025, Charles declared he was “totally on side” with Trump’s agenda and backed work requirements that would restrict Mainers’ ability to receive public assistance. Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” was projected to leave 34,700 Medicaid recipients in Maine without health care coverage.
¶ Bobby Charles Supported Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” Which Stripped Health Insurance Away From Millions Of Americans Who Relied On Medicaid
¶ Charles Supported Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” Which Included Devastating Health Care Cuts To Fund Tax Cuts For The Wealthy
¶ Charles Endorsed Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” And Framed Trump’s Agenda As Maine’s Agenda
October 2025: Charles Endorsed Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” And Framed Trump’s Agenda As Maine’s Agenda. According to Charles’ Facebook, “Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump on passing the Big, Beautiful Bill, a landmark win for the American people. This is what real leadership looks like: bold, unapologetic, and laser-focused on restoring strength, order, and prosperity. For too long, Washington gave us chaos. President Trump delivers results. This bill protects our borders, defends law enforcement, reins in reckless spending, and puts America First — where it belongs. Promises made, promises kept. �The comeback begins now.”
[Facebook, Bobby Charles, 7/3/25]
October 2025: Charles Pledged Immediate Action To Implement Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” If Elected Governor. According to Charles’s Facebook, “Thanks to Janet Mills, you might not see President Trump’s tax cuts on overtime and tips until next year. Augusta Democrats always find a way to stall when it’s time to give back. As Governor, I’ll act quickly to deliver immediate tax relief to Maine families.”
[Facebook, Bobby Charles, 10/13/25]
¶ Experts Warned 17 Million Americans Could Lose Health Care Coverage And Rural Hospitals Were At Risk Of Closure Due To Trump’s Tax Legislation
HEADLINE: "At Least 17 Million Americans Would Lose Insurance Under Trump Plan" [Washington Post, 7/1/25]
HEADLINE: “By The Numbers: Harmful Republican Megabill Favors The Wealthy And Leaves Millions Of Working Families Behind” [Center On Budget And Policy Priorities, 8/1/25]
The Congressional Budget Office Estimated That 11.8 Million People Would Become Uninsured As A Result Of The Medicaid Cuts In Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill. According to the Washington Post, "The bill, which narrowly passed the Senate on Tuesday and now heads back to the House, would effectively accomplish what Republicans have long failed to do: unwind many of the key components of the ACA, President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement, which dramatically increased the number of Americans with access to health insurance. To start, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the Senate version of the bill would result in 11.8 million more uninsured in 2034, mostly because of Medicaid cuts, compared with 10.9 million if the House version became law." [Washington Post, 7/1/25]
The Bill’s $50 Billion In Rural Hospital Relief Funding Would Not Come Close To The Gap Created By Medicaid Cuts, With 300 Rural Hospitals At “Immediate Risk” Of Closure. According to the Center For American Progress, “The OBBBA includes $50 billion in relief funding for rural hospitals over a five-year period to help reduce the disastrous impacts of the bill’s roughly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts. As of May 2025, there were approximately 2,086 rural hospitals receiving $12.2 billion a year in net revenue from Medicaid. At the median, rural hospitals’ revenue from Medicaid is $3.9 million a year.Rural hospitals have some of the lowest operating margins in the nation, especially compared with urban hospitals, meaning that any reductions in revenue could lead to closures. The average operating margin for rural hospitals was 3.1 percent in 2023, with 44 percent of rural hospitals operating with negative margins. As a result, more than 300 rural hospitals are currently at ‘immediate risk’ of closure, especially now that the OBBBA is projected to cut Medicaid spending by $1.02 trillion. The relief fund designed to blunt the negative impacts caused by the bill would not come close to filling that gap. If every rural hospital in the country received an even share of the $50 billion in relief support, it would amount to only $4.5 million every year for five years. At the close of those five years, that funding would disappear altogether.” [Center For American Progress, 7/3/25]
¶ More Than 57,300 Mainers Were Expected To Lose Health Care Coverage Under Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”
Under The “One Big Beautiful Bill,” 57,395 Mainers Were Expected To Lose Their Health Care By 2034, Including 22,700 ACA Enrollees And 34,695 Medicaid Recipients. According to the Joint Economic Committee Minority,
| District | State |
Est. # Losing ACA Coverage |
Est. # Losing Medicaid Coverage |
Est. Total # Losing Insurance |
|
ME-01 |
Maine |
11,700 |
13,216 |
24,916 |
|
ME-02 |
Maine |
11,000 |
21,479 |
32,479 |
|
All |
Totals |
22,700 |
34,695 |
57,395 |
[Joint Economic Committee Minority, 6/25]
¶ The “One Big Beautiful Bill” And The Expiring Affordable Care Act Tax Credits Would Result In 33,000 Uninsured Mainers By 2034
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” And The Expiring Affordable Care Act Tax Credits Would Result In 33,000 Uninsured Mainers By 2034. According to the Center For American Progress, “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act will increase the number of Americans without health coverage in every state Estimated increase in the uninsured population due to the OBBBA and the expiration of the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits, 2034”
[Center For American Progress, 9/5/25]
¶ 2025: There Were More Than 64,600 Mainers Enrolled In An Affordable Care Act Marketplace Plan
2025: There Were 64,678 Individuals Enrolled In An Affordable Care Act Marketplace Plan In Maine. According to KFF, in 2025, there were 64,678 individuals enrolled in affordable care act marketplace plan in Maine.
[KFF, Accessed 1/14/26]
¶ Bobby Charles Was “Totally On Side” With Trump’s Agenda To Restrict Access To Public Assistance, Even As Nearly 34,700 Mainers Stood To Lose Medicaid Coverage
¶ Bobby Charles Supported Work Requirements That Would Restrict Access To Public Assistance
October 2025: Charles Declared He Was “Totally On Side” With Trump’s Agenda And Backed Work Requirements To Receive Public Assistance. According to Bobby Charles at the 2025 Maine GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Forum, “CHARLES: So I love President Trump. I've been in his White House six times. I've written 500 articles for him. He's tweeted a bunch of them out. I am totally on side with what he's doing without apology. Six things we could immediately, immediately work with him on. Let's enforce Title Nine. How about that? Then let’s get those high intensity drug trafficking dollars up here and the substance abuse dollars up here. Then let's use his workfare policy so you don't get benefits if you're able bodied unless you work or volunteer or go to school. Then we end the wind and solar. We don't keep pushing that. Of course, we work for the nuclear. And then, we close the northern border. And we push more Navy contracts to be IW.” [Bobby Charles, Maine GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Forum, 10/18/25] (VIDEO)
¶ Under The “One Big Beautiful Bill,” 34,695 Medicaid Recipients In Maine Were Expected To Lose Their Health Care By 2034
Under The “One Big Beautiful Bill,” 57,395 Mainers Were Expected To Lose Their Health Care By 2034, Including 22,700 ACA Enrollees And 34,695 Medicaid Recipients. [Joint Economic Committee Minority, 6/25]
Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” Included New Medicaid Work Requirements That Would Cause Americans To Lose Health Insurance. According to KFF, “On July 4, President Trump signed into law a budget reconciliation package once called the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ that includes significant changes to the Medicaid program. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the Medicaid work requirement provisions in the passed budget reconciliation law will be the largest source of Medicaid savings, reducing federal spending by $326 billion over ten years and cause millions to become uninsured. […] CBO estimates. Of the Medicaid provisions included in the law, CBO estimates implementing work requirements will account for the largest share of federal Medicaid savings. Earlier CBO estimates found work requirements will cause the largest increase in the number of people without health insurance.” [KFF, 7/30/25]
¶ The Affordable Care Act Allowed States To Expand Medicaid, Which Dramatically Lowered The Uninsured Rate Among Low-Income Workers
The Affordable Care Act Allowed States To Expand Medicaid, And States That Expanded Medicaid Dramatically Lowered The Number Of People Without Health Insurance. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "The Affordable Care Act (ACA) permits states to expand Medicaid coverage to adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the poverty level (about $20,780 annually for an individual or $35,630 for a family of three). States that have adopted the expansion have dramatically lowered their uninsured rates. Extensive research finds that the people who gained coverage have grown healthier and more financially secure, while long-standing racial inequities in health outcomes, coverage, and access to care have shrunk." [Center On Budget And Policy Priorities, 6/14/24]
- The Uninsured Rate Among Low-Income Workers Fell From 38 Percent In 2013 To 17 Percent In 2022, Which Coincided With Implementation Of Medicaid Expansion. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "Millions of workers have gained coverage through Medicaid expansion, including people working in industries that provide critical goods and services such as health care, transportation, grocery stores, food manufacturers, and child care. Many have no access to health coverage through their jobs. In expansion states, the uninsured rate among low-income workers fell from 38 percent in 2013 to 17 percent in 2022; this sharp decline coincided with a large increase in the share of low-income workers enrolled in Medicaid.[16] In non-expansion states, the uninsured rate among low-income workers fell much less, from 46 percent to 31 percent. (See Figure 3.)" [Center On Budget And Policy Priorities, 6/14/24]