Maryland lawmakers call President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” a betrayal

Maryland Democratic lawmakers expressed disappointment after President Donald Trump’s budget bill passed Congress.

The so-called “big, beautiful bill” is expected to be signed into law by the president on Friday, July 4.

The Maryland Freedom Caucus, headed by Republican Congressman Andy Harris, said the bill “secured transformational wins for fiscal responsibility, border security, energy independence, welfare reform, and tax relief.”

What’s included in the “big, beautiful bill?”

Mr. Trump’s budget bill was approved in a 218 to 214 vote by the House, and a 51-50 vote in the Senate, which required Vice President JD Vance to be the tiebreaker.

The bill, when signed, would make significant cuts to healthcare and nutrition programs, like Medicaid and SNAP. According to CBS News, the bill would add $3.4 trillion to federal deficits over the next 10 years and leave millions without health insurance. 

The legislation includes more than $46.5 billion for border wall construction and related expenses, $45 billion to expand detention capacity for immigrants in custody, and about $30 billion in funding for hiring, training, and other resources for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, CBS News reports.

The package also includes an increase to the cap on the state and local tax deduction, raising it from $10,000 to $40,000, according to CBS News. After five years, it would return to $10,000, a departure from the initial House-passed bill.    

CBS News says the bill would raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, going beyond the $4 trillion outlined in the initial House-passed bill. 

And, the current $2,000 child tax credit is set to return to the pre-2017 level of $1,000 in 2026, according to CBS News, and the tax credit would permanently increase to $2,200 under the bill, $300 less than the initial House-passed hike. 

Maryland lawmakers react to the passed budget bill

Democrats in Congress voted unanimously against the bill, citing steep cuts to safety net programs, including SNAP, the food assistance program, and Medicaid.

Maryland lawmakers argue that the bill provides for the rich and takes away from those who need the assistance.

“This so-called ‘big, beautiful bill’ marks a direct and heartless assault on the American people,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement. “Neither Maryland nor any other state across the country has the resources to fill the massive hole that the federal government created today in our social safety net.”

Gov. Moore called the bill a nightmare for Maryland families, saying it impacts healthcare for senior citizens, student loan borrowers, those relying on food assistance, and people with disabilities.

“President Trump and Republicans in Congress are cutting a quarter of a billion dollars from Maryland’s rural hospitals, taking health care away from nearly 200,000 Marylanders, and hurting 684,000 Marylanders that rely on food assistance to pay for their groceries—working families, seniors, children, veterans, homeless individuals and people with disabilities. Today, our federal government has delivered a gift to the ultra-wealthy and told everyone else: ‘You’re on your own,’” Gov. Moore said.

Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott called the bill a “bad policy” and a “betrayal.” 

“Every member of Congress who voted for this should be ashamed. Baltimore won’t forget,” Scott said.

The mayor said the legislation threatens jobs, healthcare access, and public safety, and makes it easier to purchase guns.

“For cities like Baltimore, the impact will be devastating,” Scott said.

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen criticized Republicans in Congress for backing Mr. Trump over the U.S. citizens, and called it “tax breaks for billionaires.” 

“A giant handout for the ultra-rich. A big, ugly betrayal for everyone else,” Van Hollen said.

Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks added that it is a “dark day for America.”

“Republicans have slashed health care for Americans with disabilities, taken food from the mouths of hungry children, and left our seniors to fend for themselves.”