Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) today released the statement below following the final passage of President Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” in the House of Representatives. 

“Today, House Republicans passed President Trump’s deeply flawed spending bill, despite the fact that it would cause the biggest wealth transfer in our nation’s history from everyday Americans to the ultra-wealthy, rip away health care and hunger relief for millions, raise energy costs, cede energy dominance to China, destroy hundreds of thousands of American jobs, and raise our national debt by $4 trillion. President Trump’s huge spending bill is a massive betrayal of the American people that will leave families across our country, and right here in PA05, with higher costs and harder times.

“And the justifications for this bill are all lies. Republicans claim that cuts to healthcare, hunger relief, and environmental protections are necessary to reduce the deficit, but this bill actually increases the deficit by trillions, by giving even bigger permanent tax breaks to the wealthy. The tax breaks allegedly targeted to low-income workers, like those on tips and overtime, will provide only limited relief because they are (1) temporary, and (2) framed as tax deductions, which will provide no relief to low-income taxpayers who don’t make enough to take advantage of deductions. 

“The savings Republicans plan to get from Medicaid and SNAP with this bill will not come from disqualifying undocumented immigrants, as they claim, because those individuals were never eligible for these benefits. Instead, this bill will cut health care for millions of eligible Americans by creating too much paperwork and bureaucracy for the elderly, sick, disabled and children to navigate. 

“This morning, the first of many medical centers announced that it would close as a result of the looming cuts in this bill. Many more will close and be forced to cut back services, as will hospitals and nursing homes here and across the country. Because of the bill’s cuts to the ACA, costs will go up for premiums, deductibles, and copays–even for people with private insurance. All so millionaires and billionaires and Fortune 500 companies can pay less in taxes. Who in their right mind thinks this is a fair deal for the American people? It is indefensible, morally and economically.

“Some House Republicans acknowledged how bad the bill was for America, but at the end of the day, they lacked the guts to tell the truth and stand up for the American people. Time and again, we’ve seen that the only Republicans willing to stand up for their constituents and the country are those who are on their way out the door. The phones in every office in Congress have been ringing off the hook with calls from mothers worried about their children’s healthcare and seniors concerned about being able to afford food. House Republicans should pick up their phones and show more concern about their constituents’ lives than political retribution from the President. What kind of moral compass does one need to have to think that a millionaire deserves a tax cut, but a working mom or disabled kid should lose their health care?”

Impact of Trump’s Big, Ugly Bill Nationwide and in Pennsylvania:

• Kicks 17 million people off their health care, including 483,868 Pennsylvanians: Cuts more than $1 trillion from health care, including the largest Medicaid cut ever, and will cause a $500 billion cut to Medicare. Ends ACA tax credits, raising costs significantly. 

• Defunds Planned Parenthood, the leading provider of reproductive health care for millions, particularly in underserved areas. 

• Hospitals and nursing homes will have to cut staff, reduce services will be at risk of closing, reducing access and raising costs for everyone. 

• Largest cut to nutritional assistance ever: Cuts SNAP by 20%, throwing millions off food assistance, including 143,000 Pennsylvanians, veterans, foster youth, and kids.

• Eliminates more than 760,000 manufacturing and energy jobs, including 37,000 jobs in Pennsylvania.

• Raises consumer energy costs and ends tax credits to make homes more energy efficient. Pennsylvania energy costs will rise by 7-8%. 

• Makes dangerous weapons cheaper: Eliminates taxes on silencers, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns – which have been in place since 1934 – flooding our streets with more dangerous weapons and devices that make shootings deadlier.

• Makes the deficit even worse: Adds $4 trillion to the national debt and downgrades the nation's creditworthiness.

• Gives almost a trillion dollars of permanent tax cuts to the top 1%: The richest .1% will have an average annual tax cut of $308,763, while the bottom 20% of families will see their taxes rise. 

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