One Big Beautiful Bill

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, it has been a pretty rough week for Donald Trump's so-called Beautiful Bill. As everyone watching can tell, things haven't gone according to plan. The bill has been bucking under its own weight, the delays have piled up, and it is obvious large chunks of the Republican conference don't like their own bill.

But, of course, we are hearing that Republicans may still try to bring this legislation to the floor as soon as tomorrow. That is not real legislating. This is a total rush job. This is Donald Trump bullying Senate Republicans to get a bill passed no matter what is actually in it, and this is Republican leadership perhaps daring their own members who are deeply worried about this bill to oppose it on the floor.

So if Republicans do, in fact, proceed very soon, let me remind them about the consequences of passing this bill. It will be a disaster for families, for the economy, and even for Republicans themselves. It rips healthcare from 16 million people. It is the biggest cuts ever to food funding. It raises energy prices and surrenders American energy leadership to China. And it rewards the ultrarich.

Republicans should abandon these destructive policies. But, of course, they aren't doing that. Instead of fixing their bill, Republicans want to rush it because they don't want the American people to find what is in it. And their fears are certainly justified because the more and more that Americans look at this bill, the more and more they despise it. It steals their Medicaid. It jacks up their premiums. It takes away their jobs. And it gives trillions away to billionaires and special interests. This is a nonsense and destructive piece of legislation, and it makes no sense for Republicans to scramble to pass it.

There is nothing inherently critical about July 4. Even Donald Trump, 2 hours ago, admitted the July 4 deadline is a fake. And yet, here they are, rushing, scrambling, and twisting themselves into knots to try and salvage a bill they know will hurt both their constituents and their own political futures. Republicans aren't just lying to their constituents, frankly; they are lying to themselves because this bill is wholly toxic.

Here is what Republicans should do. They should not let Donald Trump bully them. They should hold firm and tell Donald Trump his Big Beautiful Bill is a disaster, a betrayal of the American people. Republicans should keep their own promises not to cut Medicaid. They should listen to the critiques of some of their own colleagues like Senator Tillis, who reportedly said behind closed doors, ``This will be devastating to my State,'' or Senator Justice, who said, ``our rural hospitals are going to have a tough time . . . you may have to hold your nose and vote for disagreeable policies.''

Senate Republicans should listen to their own words. They should ignore fake deadlines and stop the rush job.

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