The One Big Beautiful Bill Act — yes, that's the actual name — is moving through Congress, approved by the House and now being considered by the Senate.
With so many provisions in the legislation, passing it in the House was a near miracle, aided by urging with threats from President Trump. The Senate has started changing the bill while being pushed to pass their version and send it back to the House for approval in time for the president to sign it by July 4.
With significant policy divisions among Republicans in the Senate and between the Senate and the House, passage is uncertain. Yet the president's coaxing and threats that moved it through the House have given it momentum. More coaxing and threats aimed at hesitant Republican Senators may well get the bill through the Senate, with the same strategy used to gain House approval of the Senate's bill.
Despite the odds of betting against the fealty of Congress, I've urged my Senators to vote "no."
Please vote against President Trump’s “big beautiful bill.” Big, yes. Beautiful, no.
The CBO estimates the version approved by the House will increase the debt by $2.8 trillion. Increasing the nation’s debt is supposedly antithetical to Republican orthodoxy, justifying a vote against the bill.
Attempting to minimize this increase, 8–11 million people will lose Medicaid benefits, millions more who receive SNAP assistance. This is hardly just waste, fraud, and abuse. The cuts will hurt the lowest-income Americans to benefit those with the highest incomes. Another reason to vote against the bill.
The provision to shield AI companies from state and local laws for 10 years will simply enable AI companies to exploit the public and the economy without accountability for the adverse effects, which will likely be irreversible. Historically, technology companies have not addressed the negative impact on society until forced by regulation, often too late. Consider the impact social media has on our children. Congress lacks the intelligence and the will to effectively manage AI. Our only hope lies with the states. Yet another reason to vote “no.”
There are numerous other adverse effects hidden within this bill that will take years to discover and will be difficult to undo.
I urge you to vote “no” and demonstrate that Congress is an equal branch of government, not simply a rubber stamp for the president.
