By April Ryan
NNPA Washington Bureau Chief
and White House Correspondent
“Ripping health care away from more than 17 million people. That disgusts me,” admonished House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries during a speech before the House vote on what he calls “The Big Ugly Bill.”
During Jeffries’ speech, Democrat Congressman Kwesi Mfume of Maryland told this reporter, “Johnson and Trump think they have the votes.” Jeffries notes that Democrats only need four Republicans to stand with them to defeat the legislation.
President Trump called all the Republican holdouts who were planning to vote against his “Big Beautiful Bill,” which the Congressional Budget Office says will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit.
The legislation’s provisions cut Medicare or Medicaid assistance for 16 million Americans and SNAP funding that provides food assistance to those in need, while codifying tax breaks for the wealthy, who need no help at all.
“The eligibility for the children’s health insurance program will also be diminished,” said Jeffries. He stressed that the legislation negatively impacts nutritional assistance programs and the nation’s farmers and is “an all-out assault on the healthcare of the American people.”
Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove of Los Angeles told this reporter, “The righteous indignation of these Republicans who are stealing taxpayers’ hard-earned money to give to the richest of the rich is beyond the pale.” She feels Republicans rushed this bill for votes. “A bill this large and impactful should have been given longer than 15 minutes in committee. It should have been given longer than the days we had to review it.”
In addition to her peers on the Hill, Dove wants more time for everyday Americans to discuss the legislation and its impact. “My hope is that we have special sessions across the country so that constituents across the nation know EXACTLY how they will be screwed by Trump and his sycophants.”
Jeffries issued a dire warning as he worked to galvanize those who were ready to vote, telling the membership that “all of us as leaders have a responsibility to make life better for the American people.”
Pointing an oratory finger at his peers across the aisle and the current presidential administration, Jeffries said that what we have seen from Republican leadership [for] “the first six months of the administration has been characterized as chaos, cruelty and corruption that is not real leadership.” He notes instead that the leadership on this bill failed to demonstrate “courage,” “compassion,” or “commitment.”
The Big Beautiful Bill would also impact the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama.
Obama issued a statement in the lead-up to the House vote, stating, “More than 16 million Americans are at risk of losing their health care because Republicans in Congress are rushing to pass a bill that would cut federal funding for Medicaid and weaken the Affordable Care Act. If the House passes this bill, it will increase costs and hurt working-class families for generations to come. Call your representative today and tell them to vote no on this bill.”
According to Jeffries, Republicans are supporting a “reckless budget that is an immoral document” that tears people down — it is “an all-out assault on the American people.” The congressman from Brooklyn encouraged fellow Democrats and his Republican colleagues to “vote no” against the bill.
Shavon Arline-Bradley, President and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women, had this to say while Jeffries was addressing the nation. “We are in the fight of our lives. The Black Caucus, Black institutions and media, politics, and civil rights leaders are working diligently to hold the line on this Bill. The collective power of every mobilizing voice has held strong, resulting in some necessary ‘No’ Votes. If we can stop the bill, we can stop the health and economic burden on our most vulnerable.”
“Stand and Fight for the Future of America”
The following official statement from Democrats condemns President Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill:
“We believe in an America where hard work is rewarded, not punished. Where families can afford health care, put food on the table, and live with dignity.
“This fight is about more than budgets and numbers—it’s about whether we lift people up or leave them behind.
“We will stand and fight for the future of America. For working people. For families. For the next generation.”
