Local officials react to passage of Trump tax bill

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Local officials have been releasing their reactions to the passage of President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” on Thursday.

Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed said the bill was a “bad deal” for constituents:

Republicans knew this bill is a bad deal for their constituents and passed it anyway. This bill goes against the self-interest of average Americans in favor of the ultra-wealthy and corporations.  It slashes the safety net out from under hardworking families – taking away health care from millions — in order to give special interests bigger tax benefits. Republicans structured the bill so the ultra-wealthy can cash out right away while the little guy and average taxpayers will get stuck paying the bill for years to come.

During this unprecedented time of chaos and dysfunction, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and miss the latest developments. But the negative impacts of this bill must cut through the noise. Americans must be informed about the consequences of this legislation and they deserve to hear plainly from their elected representatives about how this bill is going to impact their families.

Republicans are shifting a heavier financial burden onto families, communities, hospitals, and states.  Taking away people’s health coverage doesn’t mean they stop getting sick or can’t see a doctor. Health costs for everyone will rise. And it takes away over one trillion dollars in federal funding that states and localities rely on to provide vital services like schools, transit, nutrition assistance and aid to families in crisis.

This fiscally irresponsible giveaway to the wealthy and well-connected is a debt-busting disaster.  It will cost U.S. taxpayers trillions of dollars in interest payments and Republicans unilaterally approved a record breaking $5 trillion dollar debt limit increase. But that’s just debt already incurred – this bill will add trillions of dollars in future debt when it’s all said and done, with little to no long-term benefit for middle- and working-class families. 

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the Trump Administration and the Republican Party “sold out working people:”

Donald Trump and the Republican Party officially sold out working people. Every single Republican now owns the fact that 17 million people will lose health care, that the cost of groceries will go up, that student loan payments will go up, and that utility bills will go up – all when families are already struggling with out-of-control costs. This is a betrayal of working people, and we will never let the Republican Party forget that they chose Donald Trump over the American people.

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said the bill will “[weaken] essential services and [put] the economic security of many Rhode Islanders at risk:”

My job as Governor is to create an environment where Rhode Island can grow, compete, and lead — so our people and businesses have every opportunity to thrive. 

That means improving education, raising incomes, and safeguarding Rhode Islanders’ health.

However, this GOP budget makes achieving these goals harder by weakening essential services and putting the economic security of many Rhode Islanders at risk.

For many of our neighbors, this budget reduces access to supports like SNAP food assistance. It puts health insurance for thousands of Rhode Islanders in jeopardy, breaking President Trump’s empty promise to protect Medicaid. It eliminates vital energy tax credits, making it harder to expand our energy supply and risking higher costs for families.

All the while, the budget also shifts significant costs from the federal government to the states, including new unfunded mandates. This is very troubling news.

I’ve activated my entire cabinet on this issue, and as we work through the details of this new federal budget, our commitment is to keep Rhode Islanders informed — and to never stop working on your behalf.

While many of these changes don’t take effect right away, we’re using this time to plan and prepare. We will work across state government, with our congressional delegation, and alongside local communities to navigate these challenges, together, as one team.

Whatever short-term economic benefits this bill may offer, it will do lasting destructive damage to U.S. finances and young Americans will be forced to pay for it long after Donald Trump is gone.

Rhode Island Rep. Gabe Amo said the passage of the bill was “the largest theft in American history:”

Today’s passage of Trump’s big, ugly bill demonstrates Congressional Republicans’ lack of values. On their leader’s marching orders, Republicans voted today for the largest theft in American history to further enrich the richest among us.

These Republicans are shamefully bludgeoning our health care system with its largest cut ever, snatching families’ food assistance, and looting their wallets by jacking up gas and electricity prices — just to gift Trump’s billionaire buddies an extra $847 a day.

Simply put, because of this horrific legislation, Americans will be poorer, sicker, hungrier, and further away from economic opportunity.

Trump’s dastardly tax giveaway scheme steals from the poor to give to the ultra-rich, while saddling future generations with trillions in debt. It’s cruel, callous, and shameful — indeed, a sad day for our country. I will work day and night to protect the programs Rhode Islanders rely on and to reverse the harms of this diabolical wealth transfer.

Rhode Island House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Valarie Lawson said the bill could “potentially destabilize health care systems at the state level:”

We believe it is cruel for Republicans in Washington to pay for large tax breaks for billionaires by stripping Medicaid from vulnerable residents, which will potentially destabilize health care systems at the state level. Working together, the house and senate will continue fighting for Rhode Island’s working families by passing policies to protect access to health care like we did in this year’s state budget.