On Monday, June 8, I was watching television when my phone rang. Surprisingly I was offered the opportunity to join a “conference call” with Congressman Latta. He is supposedly my representative in Congress.
By pressing star 3 on the phone, he repeatedly stated listeners could ask him a question. I pressed star 3. The recorded question I asked was “Why did you, Congressman Latta, agree in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” to give one trillion dollars in tax breaks to the richest citizens when we have a $39 trillion+ national debt?” Though Congressman Latta kept asking listeners to sign up to ask questions by pressing star 3, the long program ended with my question still unanswered.
We recently witnessed the spectacle and national theater of Trump members of Congress “rushing” to pass “The Big Beautiful Bill” full of pork, with undiscussed and undisclosed ramifications for the future of our country. After a year, the cost to Fifth Congressional District constituents is plainer.
Signed into law in July 2025, “One Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1) primarily reduced federal funding for Medicaid (by approximately $930 billion), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (by approximately $285 billion), and ACA marketplace insurance subsidies. Changes to ACA subsidies are projected to lead to 11 million fewer people having health insurance by 2034. It also cut taxes for corporations and individuals, making 2017 tax cuts permanent, while reducing clean energy incentives.
Primarily the “Big Beautiful Bill” was legislation to enrich the richest individuals of our society at the expense of the poorest members of our society, who will not find out what they have truly lost until after the 2026 election cycle when the cost for the failure to legislate for the “common good” becomes apparent to all. The bill also is projected to add over $3 trillion to the national debt over ten years.
Representative Bob Latta has decided to run for reelection in 2026, even though he has repeatedly refused to have any town hall meetings or regularly meet with his constituents in order to be informed on voter legislative opinions. His failure to represent constituents constitutes dereliction of duty.
Should I vote for Bob Latta?
David J. Neuendorff
Bowling Green
