'Reckless': Maine representatives condemn Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'
After hours of debate early Thursday morning, the House narrowly pushed through what President Donald Trump calls his "big, beautiful bill."
The tax package passed by just one vote, 215 to 214.
Two Republicans joined Democrats with “no” votes, and one Republican voted “present.”
Democrats have criticized the bill, claiming it will hurt the average American, and cause many people on programs like Medicaid to lose their benefits.
Both of Maine’s Democratic Representatives voted against the bill.
Rep. Chellie Pingree released a statement this morning calling the passage "reckless."
She said in part:
“With the narrow passage of this reckless bill, Republicans have brazenly chosen to sacrifice the health and economic security of working Americans to give massive handouts to billionaires and corporate interests. This legislation represents the ultimate betrayal of hardworking families across our nation.”
Rep. Jared Golden also condemned the bill. He says this was one of the easiest “no” votes he's ever taken, writing in part:
“The House GOP had every opportunity to work across the aisle to write a budget that put middle-class families first. Instead, they’re ramming through an extreme agenda that takes health care away from the working poor and borrows trillions of dollars to fund a package of tax cuts tilted in favor of those at the top.”
The 1,116-page "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" includes provisions to make 2017 tax cuts permanent, allocates over $46 billion for the construction of a southern border wall, and provides $4 billion to hire additional border agents and customs officers. It also proposes $150 billion more for defense spending. To fund these initiatives, the bill suggests a nearly $800 billion reduction to Medicaid, introducing work requirements that could potentially remove millions from the program.
It will now go to the Senate for a final vote, and GOP leaders hope to have it signed into law by July 4.
