Expressing Support for Tax Policies That Support Working Families

Floor Speech

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Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague, the distinguished gentleman from the great State of California, Representative Mike Thompson, for yielding and for his leadership.

We are here on the House floor debating this resolution that Republicans have introduced on tax day to celebrate themselves. This is an extraordinary thing. I have seen a lot during my time here in the United States Congress for more than 10 years. I have never seen a resolution introduced by Members of Congress, let alone a party, the Republican Party, to celebrate themselves for a bill that has damaged the American people.

However, if you are around this town long enough, I guess you see it all.

I am confused with H. Res. 1156 because the first clause says: Whereas, on July 4, 2025, the President signed Public Law 119-21, commonly known as the ``Working Families Tax Cuts.'' It is commonly known to whom?

Let's be clear with the American people: Republicans have made up that name. Why? It is because the bill, the actual name of the bill in Public Law 119-21 is the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It is deeply unpopular with the American people, who know it has been a disaster.

Now, I have respect for the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. He recently just called it the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. I am not sure he is allowed to do that because Donald Trump has made clear: Walk away from that name that he gave to the bill himself. Why? It is because the American people understand it has been a disaster.

The American people know that this resolution is not worth the paper that it is written on. It does nothing. It doesn't have the force of law and does nothing to keep the promises that Donald Trump made to the American people that on day one of his Presidency, he was going to lower costs.

However, here in America, Mr. Speaker, costs haven't gone down, costs have gone up because of decisions that Donald Trump and Republicans have made to hurt the American people.

The Trump tariffs have cost everyday Americans thousands of dollars in additional expense per year. That is an affirmative decision to hurt the American people.

Mr. Speaker, Republicans have refused to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. As a result of that very decision, more than 20 million Americans are experiencing dramatically increased health insurance premiums, in some cases costs having increased by over $1,000 per month. That is an affirmative decision that Republicans have made to increase costs.

Now, there is a reckless war of choice that has been raging in the Middle East. More than a dozen brave American heroes have already lost their lives. Hundreds have been seriously injured. Billions of taxpayer dollars are being spent per day to drop bombs in the Middle East, and yet Republicans are unwilling to spend a dime to make life more affordable for the American people.

In fact, this reckless war of choice, this Trump Republican war over in the Middle East has skyrocketed gas prices. All across America, more than $4 a gallon, largest increase in gas prices on a monthly basis in more than 60 years. Republicans have done that to the American people.

In the face of such policy failure and the one big, ugly bill being such a disaster, we have this resolution in front of us, not worth the paper that it is written on. It doesn't even reference the name of the bill that was passed. Why is that? Because Republicans are trying to hide what has been done to the American people.

Let me just briefly talk about five different things that are in the one big, ugly bill that have caused real harm. One, the one big, ugly bill contained the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, almost a trillion dollar cut to Medicaid. As a result of that, almost 14 million Americans are at risk of losing their health insurance because of the bill that Republicans are celebrating on the floor here today.

As a result of that Medicaid cut, the largest in history, hospitals, nursing homes, and community-based health centers are at a risk of closing all across the country, including in rural America, as a result of the legislation that Republicans are celebrating here on the floor today, though they are running away from the name of the bill because it is such a disaster.

The second problem with the legislation that Republicans are celebrating on the floor today is in that one big, ugly bill, they cut $186 billion, Mr. Speaker, Republicans cut $186 billion in nutritional assistance, the largest cut to SNAP in American history, literally ripping food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors, and veterans in this one big, ugly bill. Now my Republican colleagues have the nerve to come on the floor today with this resolution and celebrate that?

The third problem with the bill, amongst many, is that after cutting Medicaid, ripping healthcare away from the American people, stealing food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors, and veterans, $75 billion in taxpayer money was set aside in a slush fund so that ICE can brutalize and in some cases kill American citizens. There is a $75 billion slush fund for ICE in this one big, ugly bill that Republicans are on the floor celebrating today, with active harm being done to the American people, including resulting in the deaths, the cold-blooded killing of two American citizens, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.

The fourth problem with this bill on tax day is who the beneficiaries of this legislation include. Every economist who has studied this legislation knows that it overwhelmingly and disproportionately benefits the wealthy, the well-off, and the well-connected. In fact, the American people know it, which is why this resolution doesn't even make mention of the official name of the bill, because Republicans are running away from it.

The bottom line is, Medicaid was cut. Nutritional assistance was cut. ICE was given this slush fund of $75 billion; and billionaire donors to the Republican Party were given massive tax breaks that they did not need and do not deserve in an environment where working families, everyday Americans, middle-class Americans, working-class Americans are struggling to make ends meet, can't thrive, and can barely survive.

Yet, what was done in this one big, ugly bill that Republicans are celebrating on the floor today? Massive tax breaks to Republican billionaire donors, not making life more affordable to the American people, because the American people know that life has become more expensive, not less under Donald Trump's Presidency and failed Republican policies.

The fifth problem, amongst many, is that for years Republicans have portrayed themselves, Mr. Speaker, as the party of fiscal responsibility. This is one of the most fiscally irresponsible bills being celebrated on the floor today by Republicans ever to pass the United States Congress, going all the way back to 1789.

It is legislation that increased the debt by more than $4 trillion to give ICE a $75 billion slush fund to cut Medicaid, to rip food from the mouths of children, and to subsidize the life-styles of the rich and shameless. This is nothing to celebrate here on the floor today.

I am thankful to Mike Thompson, my colleague, and distinguished members of the Ways and Means Committee for communicating to the American people the truth. We will be opposing this resolution, a resolution not worth the paper that it is written on, something that doesn't even have the force of law, because as Democrats we are committed to actually solving problems for the American people, for making life more affordable for the American people, for ending this reckless war of choice in the Middle East that has skyrocketed gas prices, to fix our broken healthcare system, reverse these Medicaid cuts that are part of this one big, ugly bill. Extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits and actually commit to doing things, legislating-- not pontificating--legislating in ways that make life better for the American people.

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