Louisiana leaders react to passing of President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Louisiana leaders are speaking out after President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” passed in the House Thursday.

On Tuesday, the Senate passed the bill after tense negotiations that lasted 27 hours. Every Democrat and three Republicans voted against the bill. U.S. Vice President JD Vance made the tie-breaking vote to advance the bill.

By Thursday, the House advanced the bill with a 218-214 vote. The bill is now heading to Trump’s desk to be signed into law.

Trump’s bill includes a permanent extension of the 2017 tax cuts, no taxes on tips, and $350 billion for border security. The Congressional Budget Office said the bill would cut $1.5 trillion in federal spending over the next 10 years, and about 12 million Americans would lose Medicaid coverage.

Louisiana leaders’ reactions to bill passage

Republican Congresswoman Julia Letlow supported the bill and said she will continue to advocate for the district as the bill is implemented.

“With passage of President Trump’s pro-family agenda, we have provided tax relief for the middle class and saved every American from a tax increase. Our working families and seniors will see new relief through a bigger child tax credit, eliminating taxes on tips, and a tax cut for retirees on Social Security. Our farmers will have much-needed certainty with the reauthorization of key Farm Bill policies, updated reference prices for commodities, and lower taxes. Now that we have extended the Trump Tax Cuts and supported Louisiana’s families and our economy, I will continue to advocate for my district as the Big Beautiful Bill is implemented.”

Congresswoman Julia Letlow

Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry thanked the leadership of Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson and Congressman Steve Scalise.

“Americans just received: LARGEST tax cut in history, NO tax on tips, overtime, and social security, permanently secure our borders, permanent increase to the child tax credit, protects two million family farms from punitive double taxation, unleases american energy dominance, modernizes the American military, and ends fraud, waste, and abuse in our federal government. WIN AFTER WIN AFTER WIN for the American people. America is BACK.”

Gov. Jeff Landry

Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson released a statement after the passage.

“Republicans in Congress have succeeded in our mission to enact President Trump’s America First agenda. And importantly, we did it in record time, so that the effects of this nation-shaping legislation can be felt by the American people as soon as possible.

“Today, the House has passed generational legislation that permanently lowers taxes for families and job creators, secures the border, unleashes American energy dominance, restores peace through strength, reduces spending more than any other bill ever has, and makes government more efficient and effective for all Americans.

“It should never be forgotten that every single House Democrat voted against all of it — proving once again that they support tax hikes on their constituents, open borders, runaway government spending, and Medicaid for able-bodied adults who can work but choose not to. The One Big Beautiful Bill now heads to the President’s desk for his signature, all all hard-working Americans should know — this bill is for you.”

US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy released a video explaining how it helps his bill, the Educational Choice for Children Act.

“I don’t know what they’re going to end up calling the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ but in it is something called the Educational Choice for Children Act. It’s my bill. And it gives a tax credit for people to donate to a scholarship fund so that a mom or dad can send their child to a school of their choice. Maybe they’re trapped in a school, which is failing, there’s a good parochial school down the street and they can’t afford it, this helps them afford it. It’s a federal effort to empower parents.”

Sen. Bill Cassidy

Democrat Congressman Cleo Fields shared a statement, expressing “disdain in the passage of President Trump’s budget bill.”

“Today the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, President Trump’s so called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’, by a margin of 218 to 214. Congressman Fields (LA-06) joined every House Democrat in voting against the largest cut to healthcare and food assistance in American history.

“This legislation will have long-lasting and devasting impacts on Louisiana and the nation. On a national level, this bill cuts more than $1 trillion from funding for Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act. It will strip away nearly 17 million Americans’ health insurance, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

“Over 1.6 million Louisiana residents depend on Medicaid, including half of all children, two-thirds of mothers and newborns, and three-quarters of all nursing home residents in the state. About 260,000 people statewide in Louisiana are projected to lose health insurance as a direct result of this bill, with over 36,000 residents in the sixth congressional district losing coverage. These cuts also put over 30 of Louisiana’s rural hospitals at risk of closure.

“This bill also creates barriers to access food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by expanding SNAP work requirements and putting 5 million people nationwide and 200,000 people statewide are now at risk of having their SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated, due to the combination of additional work requirements and the state being forced to choose between offsetting the loss of federal funding or cutting services.

“Additionally, this bill also will negatively impact access to quality education by changing the requirements for Pell Grant eligibility from 24 credits to 30 credits per year and eliminating Pell Grants for part time students. Under these new requirements, nearly 25,000 students in Louisiana are projected to lose their entire Pell Grant assistance.

“This bill is one of the worst pieces of legislation I have ever seen. The poor will be kicked off their healthcare. Hospitals will close. People will die. Food will be taken out of hungry children’s mouths. How anyone could vote for this, and how any president could be proud to sign this into law, is unimaginable to me.”

Congressman Cleo Fields

The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) shared a statement about the passage of the pro-growth tax reform bill.

“LABI commends Congress for passing this landmark measure that delivers critical tax relief and pro-growth reforms for Louisiana businesses and families while maintaining a balanced and pragmatic approach to controlling Medicaid spending.

“Lower taxes, smart regulatory reforms, and policies that support domestic energy production and manufacturing are critical to Louisiana’s economy. This legislation provides tools to help businesses of all sizes invest, expand and hire more workers.

“Earlier this year, LABI warned that ‘76,000 Louisiana jobs will be lost unless Congress renews the Trump tax reforms.’ We are pleased that this bill extends and builds upon those tax cuts, preserving the competitive tax climate that is essential for our state’s economic growth, job creation and continued investment.

“Louisiana’s economic future depends on a competitive tax climate, infrastructure investment and a regulatory environment that fosters growth while protecting our unique resources. LABI looks forward to working with state and federal leaders to ensure these reforms deliver tangible benefits for our businesses, families and communities.

“We especially thank members of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation who supported this bill. In particular, we recognize House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise for their leadership and dedication while navigating a challenging process to ultimately advance policies that keep Louisiana’s economy strong and competitive.”

LABI President/CEO Will Green

Republican Congressman Clay Higgins described the process as “easy” to get the bill delivered to Trump.

“Media: ‘Congressman Higgins, getting the Big Beautiful Bill done has required months of work, and it seems like you’ve been pretty deeply involved in negotiations, as a member of the Freedom Caucus and being close to Speaker Mike Johnson. So, my question is, looking back, how would you assess the whole process of getting the bill finally delivered for President Trump?’

“Me: ‘Easy'”

Congressman Clay Higgins via X

Democrat Congressman Troy A. Carter described the bill as “not just ugly—it’s catastrophic and downright cruel.”

“Let me be clear: this bill is not just ugly—it’s catastrophic and down right cruel. Now that Republican majorities in both chambers have passed this legislation, the devastating consequences for Louisianians and Americans across the country will become real in the months ahead.

“H.R. 1 represents the largest cuts to health care and nutrition assistance in American history. It rips away coverage from 17 million Americans, slashes $1 trillion from health care—with $900 billion from Medicaid alone—and drives up out-of-pocket costs for millions more. It strips support from our hospitals and nursing homes, threatening to close 1 in 4 long-term care facilities, and it puts SNAP at risk for 40 million people—including children, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities.

“On top of that, this bill increases energy costs by $400 per household, cedes hundreds of billions in clean energy investments and jobs to countries like China, and undermines our ability to compete in a global economy.

“And for what? To hand $1.3 trillion in tax breaks to people making over $500,000—a staggering wealth transfer from working families to billionaires like Elon Musk and Republican megadonors.

“Republicans are calling this a win for the American people. That’s a lie. This is a full-blown assault on veterans, students, workers, the elderly, and every family that relies on a fair shot to get ahead. It’s a betrayal of our values and a dark day for economic justice.

“Families in Louisiana and across the country will feel the real harm of these extreme cuts. I will continue fighting to protect our communities from the fallout of this bill and working to restore the critical programs it dismantles. Our focus now must be on holding those who supported this legislation accountable and standing up for the everyday Americans this “Big Ugly Bill” leaves behind.”

Congressman Troy Carter

Republican Congressman Steve Scalise emphasized Mike Johnson’s post on social media.

“The One Big Beatiful Bill has PASSED the House! Next stop: President Trump’s desk. Promises made. Promises kept.”

Congressman Steve Scalise

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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)