Former President Donald Trump’s highly contentious legislative package — dubbed by its supporters as the “Big Beautiful Bill” — narrowly passed a Senate vote late Tuesday night, despite urgent warnings from public health experts and human rights groups that its provisions could lead to widespread suffering and even loss of life.
The bill, which includes sweeping Medicaid cuts, work requirements for federal aid, and rollbacks on housing and food assistance, passed with a 52-48 vote. All but one Republican senator voted in favor, joined by centrist Democrat Sen. Kyle Adams (D-WV), who cited fiscal concerns as his reason for crossing the aisle.
Trump celebrated the victory on Truth Social, posting:
“A HUGE WIN for America! The Big Beautiful Bill is just the beginning. We are bringing RESPONSIBILITY back!”
However, critics argue that the bill’s impacts will be devastating. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that more than 15 million Americans could lose Medicaid coverage within the next year alone. The bill also eliminates federal rent subsidies for more than 800,000 families and reduces funding for food stamps by nearly 25%.
Dr. Fiona Haver, a former CDC official who resigned earlier this year, was among the sharpest voices condemning the legislation.
“People will die because of this bill — full stop,” she told reporters. “Cutting healthcare, food, and shelter to fund tax breaks for corporations is a moral failure.”
Indeed, the bill includes significant tax cuts for high earners and businesses, with the top corporate tax rate dropping from 21% to 15%. Trump allies say this will stimulate job growth and personal responsibility, but opponents argue it shifts resources away from the nation’s most vulnerable.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called the House floor a “crime scene” while speaking at length Thursday morning about the vote for Trump’s tax bill.
“It’s shameful,” he said, warning “people will die” and calling the bill an “all-out Republican assault on health care.”
The bill now heads to the House of Representatives, where its future is uncertain. Though the GOP holds a narrow majority, several moderate Republicans have expressed concerns about the bill’s humanitarian and political fallout, particularly in an election year.
Rep. Maya Castellanos (R-PA), a swing-district Republican, told reporters:
“I support reform, but I cannot vote for a bill that throws millions of children and seniors into crisis. We need to go back to the drawing board.”
Protests erupted overnight in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Activists are demanding that House members vote down the measure, calling it “legislative cruelty disguised as reform.”
Despite the uproar, Trump-aligned Republicans are already touting the bill as a model for a possible second Trump administration. The former president, now the presumptive GOP nominee, has hinted that similar policies would be a cornerstone of his 2025 agenda if reelected.
The House is expected to take up the bill next week.