One Big Beautiful Bill Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, this weekend, across the country, we observed our Nation's 249th Independence Day, a day intended to celebrate a government of, by, and for the people, in Lincoln's words. But this Independence Day was anything but a celebration in one respect, and that is because, this Fourth of July, the President and congressional Republicans decided to sign their so-called Big Beautiful Bill, and in so doing, they retreated from the values that our Founders etched in the Declaration, ``that all Men are created equal,'' not just the wealthy and well-connected.
Americans across this Nation overwhelmingly oppose this bill--and for good reason. You see, this bill signed by the President on the Fourth of July is the largest cut in healthcare and the largest cut in nutrition assistance in history, slashing more than $1 trillion from healthcare programs like Medicaid and $200 billion from the SNAP program.
Seventeen million Americans will lose their health insurance. Health insurance premiums will rise for another 20 million Americans. Three million people will have food taken off the table, including kids, seniors, and veterans.
I can't understand the celebration of the facts that I have just read.
I have heard misstatements. One misstatement was: Don't worry. The people we take off Medicaid will be the illegal immigrants.
They are not eligible for Medicaid, and they are certainly not in that calculation of 17 million Americans.
Why do we do these things? Why would any government do these things to so many innocent people?
In this case, very simply, it is to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations. The richest Americans will be seeing $400,000 more in tax cuts in their pockets every year because of this legislation. I don't know how their lifestyle--if you are a millionaire or something like that and you get a tax break of $400,000, what does that money do to change your life?
Well, I can tell you this: One thing that will change your life forever is to face a dramatic medical challenge in your family and not have health insurance to cover you. I have been there, and I have lived through that. It is something you never wish on anyone. And yet 17 million Americans, unfortunately, will lose their health insurance under this bill, the Big Beautiful Bill, signed by President Trump.
Despite a last-ditch effort--there was a failing attempt at buying votes and pretending to care about rural areas, like my area of Downstate Illinois--more than 300 rural hospitals and 500 nursing homes may be forced to close because of these cutbacks in Medicaid. That is because this Big Beautiful Bill cripples the Medicaid Program that keeps our rural hospitals and communities afloat. That includes HSHS St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield, IL, where Medicaid pays for 53 percent of the hospitalization; St. Mary's Hospital in Centralia, IL, where Medicaid pays for 42 percent of hospitalizations; and OSF St. Clare Hospital in Princeton, IL, where Medicaid covers 45 percent of the hospitalizations.
The administrators in these hospitals have warned us that this could be the breaking point. Many of these hospitals barely survive, barely keep their doors open. Now, all of these hospitals--already operating on the margins--may face impossible decisions to scale back services. For what? To pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest people in this country.
Aside from hospitals, there is also going to be a major consequence on American energy. I commend to my colleagues and those who are following this debate, in today's New York Times, an article by Thomas Friedman. He talks about the impact on energy from the decisions made by the signing of this bill.
This bill kills solar, wind, and EV tax credits enjoyed by companies and consumers alike, all but ceding the future of electricity to China and risking billions of dollars of investments in renewable energy-- ironically, mostly in Republican States.
While working families grapple with the consequences of these cuts, they are going to see the family home expenses increase by $1,000 a year. Utility bills are going up because of this bill--this bill signed by the President, the Big Beautiful Bill.
The Chicago Tribune recently shared a story of Isaiah Rogers, a 61- year-old man who lives in the West Pullman neighborhood in Chicago. Several years ago, Isaiah was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. As a result of this diagnosis, he has not been able to return to his job, trimming trees, and has been working small side jobs. Medicaid pays for Isaiah's doctor visits and his insulin.
A single father without a high school degree, Isaiah is concerned that the bill's cuts and changes to Medicaid will result in his losing his health coverage. And if Isaiah loses Medicaid, he will no longer be able to afford his insulin and other medications. He may face a diabetic complication or coma or even suffer a stroke. What will that mean to his 12-year-old son?
It is unconscionable to think that the other party would pull the plug on lifesaving health coverage and deny food to our most needy children, but that is exactly what they voted for and celebrated on July 4.
As Republicans moved this megabill through Congress, Democrats did our best, in the minority, to push back. Over the course of 27 hours, Senate Democrats forced votes on many amendments to put Republicans on notice and show their constituents what their real positions are on issues. It was the longest vote-arama in the history of the Senate. It included putting Republicans on the record, voting against nursing home care, home healthcare, food assistance for children of veterans, protections for Medicaid, clean energy jobs--and the list goes on. And an expansion of the child tax credit, an idea that has proven successful--all that was sacrificed to give billionaires tax cuts instead.
In the end, three sensible Senate Republicans looked at this ugly betrayal of a bill and agreed they couldn't be part of the process. I commend them. But, sadly, three votes on the other side of the aisle wasn't enough. We needed one more.
And who swooped in to cast his vote--the decisive vote? Vice President Vance. He showed up at the last minute and cast a tie- breaking vote in the Senate to push the bill across the finish line.
A few short years ago, then-Vice President Harris broke a tie in this very Chamber to pass the largest climate investment bill in history and to lower prescription drug prices for millions of Americans--what a sharp contrast. This Vice President cast a deciding vote that will be painful for so many families across America, and he could have done so much more and so much better for the people of this Nation. That is the difference in priorities. In politics, it basically boils down to: Whose side are you on?
As the effects of this bill take shape and slither their way through our communities, our Republican colleagues will have to look their constituents in the eyes and explain their votes. They will have to explain to a farmer who now must drive an additional 50 miles to the nearest hospital why they had to shut the community hospital doors. They will have to explain to the grandmother at a nursing home why her care is being slimmed down or eliminated because of cutbacks to Medicaid. They will have to explain to the young mother preparing to have a baby why there is no longer a maternity ward in her county.
This bill flies in the face of American values that we celebrate on the Fourth of July and everything we stand for. The other party has a lot of explaining to do, and the American people are going to face the consequences.
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