Congressman Cohen Votes Against Disastrous Budget Reconciliation Bill

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) this morning voted against a cruel and dangerous budget reconciliation bill which passed the House on a 215-214 vote, and made the following statement:

“The Trump bill was as antithetical to my philosophy of government as any bill I’ve been faced with in my career. A deficit-increasing award to the rich and well off, coupled with the largest reduction to health care and nutritional assistance in our country’s history. The bill was a DOGE-like attack on Medicaid and SNAP and will harm those most in need -- children, seniors, the poor and the disabled.

“What a perverse slap in the face to the Judeo-Christian values which we claim to honor. 

“And for icing on the cake, it was prepared for the most fortunate in our economy for the destruction of our government foundations, including a callous disregard for the environment, civil rights and justice.”

What Trump calls his “One Big, Beautiful Bill” would, among other things:

• Kick 8 million people off Medicaid and remove access to the health insurance marketplace for 5 million others
• Take food assistance away from millions of children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities.
• Remove restrictions on air and water pollution.
• Extend trillions of dollars in tax cuts from Trump’s first term, skewed toward those making more than $400,000 a year.
• Add $2.4 trillion over 10 years to the national debt which is already more than $36 trillion resulting in our bond rating being reduced and volatility for 401(K) accounts.
• Could require nearly $500 billion in cuts to Medicare over the next decade.

Congressman Cohen noted that Republicans insisted on debating this measure beginning at 1 a.m. on Wednesday and then took procedural votes on Thursday in the pre-dawn hours largely to keep the American public from seeing what they are doing. The bill passed the House of Representatives today at 6:56 a.m. 

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