July 3, 2025 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives passed President Donald J. Trump's (R) spending priorities into law largely along party lines. The bill extends the 2017 Trump tax cuts while adding additional tax relief. It also funds heightened border security efforts. It does include some cuts. While Elon Musk and some fiscal conservatives argued that the bill does not make nearly enough cuts in the size of the federal government, Democrats denounced the bill for the cuts that it did make. While all five Republicans in the Alabama delegation voted YES for the President's bill; but both Democrats – Terri Sewell (D-Selma) and Shomari Figures (D-Mobile) voted NO.
"While the rest of America was sleeping, House Republicans were busy doing the bidding of the billionaire class," said Rep. Sewell. "Instead of keeping their promise to lower costs, Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans have perpetrated the greatest betrayal of working families in modern history and set us on a path to greater inequality, deeper poverty, and needless suffering, all to give another tax break to the wealthy. It is shameful."
"My heart aches for the millions of Americans who will be hit hardest by this cruel and heartless bill," said Rep. Sewell. "The single mom at risk of losing her child's Medicaid coverage, the grandmother who may no longer qualify for SNAP, the families in rural Alabama whose nearest hospital may soon be forced to shut its doors. House Republicans may have sold them out, but the American people are paying attention, and they will not forget this betrayal."
"This bill is nothing more than a handout for the rich," said Rep. Figures. "Under this bill, on average, if you make $1 million, you get at least a $80,000 tax break each year. That's nearly three times the median income in Alabama. If you make $50,000, on average, you get less than $250. Republicans claim they are the party of fiscal responsibility, but this bill adds trillions to our debt. If we are going to spend more money, it should be to help Americans across the country keep a roof over their heads, clothes on their backs, and food on their tables. It should be to give tax breaks to teachers and school personnel, nurses, social workers, law enforcement, firefighters, first responders, and everyday people. Instead, Republicans have abandoned the people who need help the most. This bill is bad for Alabama, bad for America, and there is nothing beautiful about it."
Democrats argue that The One Big Beautiful Bill Act makes the largest cut to health care and SNAP in American history, threatening to kick more than 190,000 Alabamians off their health care and jeopardizing food assistance for more than 750,000 Alabamians.
The Whitehouse released a lengthy statement that is intended to counter every point made by Democratic objections to the legislation.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/06/myth-vs-fact-the-one-big-beautiful-bill/
"The One Big Beautiful Bill delivers the largest middle- and working-class tax cut in U.S. history. The President's legislation will put more than $10,000 a year back in the pockets of typical hardworking families. This is the most pro-growth, pro-worker, pro-family legislation ever crafted."
"As the President has said numerous times, there will be no cuts to Medicaid. The One Big Beautiful Bill protects and strengthens Medicaid for those who rely on it-pregnant women, children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families-while eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. The One Big Beautiful Bill removes illegal aliens, enforces work requirements, and protects Medicaid for the truly vulnerable."
"Rural hospitals comprise just 7% of all hospital spending on Medicaid, illustrating that they have not benefited from the massive increase in waste, fraud, and abuse under the Biden administration. By strengthening Medicaid, we are making more resources available for vulnerable populations and safety net providers, like rural hospitals. We are expanding rural hospital protection, providing targeted funds for rural care, and giving states flexibility to support local providers."
"The 20-hour weekly work requirement applies only to able-bodied adults without young children and promotes dignity, stability, and better health outcomes for families. The One Big Beautiful Bill restores the dignity of work with historically bipartisan work requirements for able-bodied Americans. We are implementing commonsense, Clinton-era work, volunteer, education, or training requirements with broad bipartisan support."
"Only 28% of able-bodied adults on SNAP work. The One Big Beautiful Bill promotes work, responsibility, and restores SNAP to serve the truly needy. SNAP enrollment remains high even in a strong economy, including millions of able-bodied adults who could work. In fact, almost three-quarters of able-bodied adults without dependents on SNAP have no earned income. The mission of the program has failed. SNAP was intended to be temporary help for those who encounter tough times-we are strengthening this program to serve those who need it most."
"Illegals burden taxpayers with billions in costs for free health care and welfare benefits. The One Big Beautiful Bill ends Medicaid and SNAP fraud and ensures these programs serve only eligible Americans."
"The One Big Beautiful Bill delivers historic tax relief to seniors, with a new tax deduction that, combined with other deductions, ensures the average Social Security beneficiary will pay zero taxes on Social Security."
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