In a late-night session, House Republicans passed their “Big, Beautiful Bill,” a multi-trillion-dollar spending package criticized for significantly increasing the national deficit while cutting essential services.
House Democrats said the legislation funds tax breaks for billionaires and large corporations by reducing healthcare and food assistance for millions of Americans.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 218 to 214, with every single House Democrat, including New Mexico Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández, Melanie Stansbury and Gabe Vasquez, alongside two Republicans, voting against it.
Representative Leger Fernández sharply criticized the bill.
“Trump’s signature bill betrays the American people by giving massive tax breaks to billionaires and paying for them through the biggest cut to health care in history and the biggest explosion of our national debt ever,” said Leger Fernandez. “Taking food, health care and education from working families, veterans and the disabled to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy, well-off and well-connected is immoral, cruel and un-American. It does, however, tell us loud and clear that Trump and the Republicans who passed this bill value the richest among us and not working families.”
Stansbury and Vasquez joined Leger Fernandez for a press call Thursday after the bill was passed, with all three calling it a “big, ugly abomination” and “a betrayal of American families.”
Leger Fernández highlighted the contrasting values between the parties, noting that previous Democratic efforts focused on investing in manufacturing and renewable energy, expanding the child tax credit, capping insulin prices and raising taxes on billionaire corporations. She said that the Republican bill overturns this progress, warning it “will turn the possibility of an American dream into an American nightmare for working families with health care needs.”
The New Mexico representative detailed the potential impacts of the cuts, including a $500 billion cut to Medicare that would affect seniors, a $900 billion cut to Medicaid that could lead to rural hospital closures, nursing home evictions, and denied healthcare coverage for vulnerable populations. She also pointed out the elimination of premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which could drastically increase health insurance premiums for millions of working families. For example, a couple in their 60s earning $80,000 could see their premiums jump from $6,900 to $22,300 annually.
Leger Fernández also expressed concern about the cuts to education loans, arguing it would hinder the training of future leaders and professionals, potentially limiting access to medical and dental professions to only the wealthy.
Despite the significant setbacks, Leger Fernández noted a few “wins,” including the removal of provisions attempting to force the sale of public lands, including in New Mexico, due to “the power of New Mexicans’ advocacy,” and a bipartisan expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) within the bill, a cause Senator Ben Ray Luján and Leger Fernandez have championed for years to cover New Mexicans affected by radiation exposure.
“We welcome that some Republicans finally recognized this injustice and expanded RECA in this bill. New Mexicans have waited long enough,” Leger Fernandez said. “They deserve the compensation and recognition they’ve earned through pain and sacrifice.”
Key impacts of the “Betrayed for Billionaires Bill” include:
- Over $1 trillion in cuts from Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act, potentially leaving nearly 17 million Americans uninsured.
- A $500 billion cut to Medicare.
- Nearly $200 billion in cuts to SNAP, affecting food assistance.
- The largest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich, with top earners gaining significantly while lower-income individuals see minimal benefit from tax breaks.
- A $5 trillion increase in the debt ceiling.
- Increased ACA premiums and increased paperwork for Medicaid access.
- Risk of closure for nearly 300 rural hospitals and 500 nursing home facilities.
- Strict borrowing caps for graduate and professional students, potentially impacting access to medical and dental education.
- Defunding of Planned Parenthood, jeopardizing nearly 200 health centers.
- Repeal of clean energy incentives.
Related
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
