Donald Trump calls it his “Big Beautiful Bill.” But for the people I represent in Florida — and for millions of Americans across the country — there’s nothing beautiful about it. It’s ugly, mean, and cruel. That’s why I voted, “No”.
This legislation is the largest transfer of wealth from the poor and middle class to the ultra-rich in our nation’s history, and it’s being paid for on the backs of working families and seniors. It guts Medicaid, slashes food assistance, and lavishes billionaires and corporate CEOs with massive tax breaks. And still, Republicans in Congress are celebrating it.
They’ll try to tell you it’s about putting “America first” or investing in our communities. But I’ve seen the reality on the ground, and it tells a very different story.
Our neighbors rely on Medicaid, SNAP. They’re lifelines.
There are thousands of our neighbors who rely on programs like Medicaid and SNAP — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that helps low-income individuals and families put food on the table. These programs aren’t handouts. They are lifelines.
I think of the mother in Boynton Beach whose son needs Medicaid to afford medication related to Down Syndrome health issues — and whose 90-year-old mother relies on Medicaid to stay in a nursing home. For her family, these cuts could be devastating.
I think of the 79-year-old woman from West Palm Beach who spent her life working — first as a school secretary, then as a caregiver. She now lives on a modest Social Security check, and after losing her life partner, she’s surviving on a single income. After paying rent and basic bills, there’s nothing left. SNAP is the only reason she can still afford to feed herself. She told me she’s terrified that if her benefits are cut, she’ll have to choose between paying her utility bills or buying food.
And if that weren’t enough, the big ugly bill also slashes funding for climate change initiatives — at a time when we’re facing record-breaking heat, floods, and wildfires across the country. Instead of investing in resilient infrastructure and clean energy, this bill turns its back on science and on our future.
Trump’s bill leaves families worse off
The Big, Ugly Bill would leave families worse off — and the numbers prove it:
And for what? So the wealthiest one percent can walk away with more than $1 trillion in tax breaks.
Let me be crystal clear: I opposed the cuts to Medicaid and food assistance. I opposed handing out tax breaks to billionaires at the expense of working families and seniors.
And I strongly opposed Donald Trump’s One Big, Ugly Bill.
Lois Frankel is a Democrat representing Florida’s 22nd congressional district. She wrote this for The Palm Beach Post.
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel: I voted no on Trump’s bill. It’s ugly, mean and cruel. | Opinion
Reporting by U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel / Palm Beach Post
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