Statement by National NOW President Christian F. Nunes
The tax and spending bill passed by the U.S. Senate is so horrendous that Vice President Vance had to cast a tie-breaking vote to get it passed. Senators know that Donald Trump’s massive giveaway to the rich is financed by cuts to health care, food assistance and school meals, and cost increases that will impact electricity, housing and other everyday needs.
The Senate voted not to help consumers, but hurt everyone who depends on Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. The bill means 11.8 million more Americans will become uninsured within a decade, and federal spending on those vital programs will be slashed by more than $1.1 trillion—with more than $1 trillion of those cuts coming from Medicaid alone.
Those cuts to Medicaid are even deeper and more detrimental than what was passed by the House—where this terrible, ugly bill is now headed for reconciliation.
But the harm caused by this bill cannot be reconciled with our democratic values of equality, opportunity and fairness for all. Cruelty is the point of so much of this extremist agenda, but we will never accept its’ ascendance or stop fighting for our values.
Now, it’s up to the House to show which side they’re on. They must stand up for their constituents and vote this bill down. Their voters will remember this decision.
