Washington: The Donald Trump administration’s so-called “big, beautiful bill” on taxes and spending has become the most controversial issue in Congress, with Americans divided between supporters and opponents.
According to Kuwait News Agency, while the White House says it’s “an opportunity for future generations to deliver the long-term changes Americans voted for,” Democrats see it as an “attack” on American families and warn it will impact healthcare and benefit the wealthy while harming the poor.
In a statement, the White House declared that the bill, passed by the House of Representatives (the lower house of Congress) on May 22, “is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. It delivers the largest tax cut in American history, champions families, protects farm families, unleashes American energy dominance, and fosters the development of the American mining sector.” In turn, US President Donald Trump believes the bill is subject to “a lot of false statements, but what no one understands is that it is the largest spending cut in history… without a doubt.” To reassure opponents of the bill, Trump emphasized in a post on the social media platform Truth Social “there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid.” However, the statements of Trump and Republicans in general did not convince Democrats, who all voted against the bill in the House of Representatives and are mobilizing their political power to block its passage in the Senate (the upper chamber of Congress).
Top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rosa DeLauro, describes the bill’s passage as a “robbery” perpetrated by Republicans against the American people. “While you were asleep at night, House Republicans passed legislation giving USD 1 trillion in tax cuts to billionaires and corporations while destroying programs that help ordinary Americans survive,” the Democratic congresswoman added. She also warned that approximately 14 million working Americans who had health coverage could lose health coverage with the expansion of the Affordable Care Act’s low-cost health care program, and that food assistance for 42 million people would be at risk.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, believes the bill “builds a nation, reduces spending, permanently reduces taxes for families and employers, secures the border, restores peace through strength, and makes government more efficient and effective for all Americans.” In a statement, Johnson accused Democrats of “clearly wanting to raise taxes on their constituents, open the borders, and provide low-cost health care to illegal immigrants.” To ensure that this legislation passes with minimal political damage and maximizes President Trump’s agenda, the House of Representatives has adopted “an expedited legislative process that prevents procrastination and limits amendments in the Senate,” according to the official Congress website.