Rhode Island, Mass. members of Congress respond to Senate passage of Trump bill

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act passed the United States Senate via a JD Vance tiebreaker vote just after noon Tuesday after a marathon session in Washington, D.C.

The domestic cornerstone legislation of President Donald Trump’s second term will now head back to the U.S. House of Representatives for final passage.

Local members of Congress have offered their reactions to the Senate passage after Vance broke the 50-50 tie.

Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse:

Trump’s Big, Beautiful-for-Billionaires Bill is one massively destructive piece of legislation.  Cooked in back rooms, dropped at midnight, and fraudulently scored, it increases costs for everyone by walloping the health care system, making families go hungry, and sending utility bills through the roof.  It saddles our children and grandchildren with trillions and trillions of dollars in debt – all to serve giant corporations, fossil fuel polluters, and billionaire Republican megadonors who are already among the richest people on the planet.

Rhode Island Congressman Gabe Amo:

After days of backroom dealing, Senate Republicans just passed an extreme bill gutting Medicaid, stealing food assistance, hiking electricity prices, and making it harder for millions to attain higher education. This big, ugly bill is heading back to the House, so I’m on my way to Washington to stand up for Rhode Islanders. I will fight this reverse Robin Hood scheme every step of the way, because it’s dead wrong to take from working Americans to give tax handouts to billionaires.

Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed said in part:

Rhode Islanders care about rising costs but Trump and this Republican Congress don’t care about costs.  Instead, they’re passing a huge tax giveaway for the wealthiest, slashing healthcare for millions, and adding trillions to the debt.  Future generations will be paying for this destructive, fiscally irresponsible monstrosity long after Donald Trump is gone.  This bill takes from the needy and gives to greedy special interests.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren said in part:

I’m leaving the Senate now at the end of the vote. When the Republicans won, they cheered. They cheered over taking away health care from around 17 million people. They cheered over giving huge tax breaks to a handful of billionaires. They cheered over running up the national debt by another three and a half trillion dollars.