Courtney Votes NO on the Largest Health Care Cut in U.S. History & A Tax Giveaway for the Rich
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) issued the following statement after voting “no” on President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (H.R. 1):
“At a time when Americans are struggling with an affordability crisis and the tax code is slated to sunset tax breaks for millionaires in December, Congress has a golden opportunity and a solid runway to lower the cost of living, cut the national debt, and grow our economy. Instead, the Republican majority in Congress chose to jam through a partisan budget bill which gives a massive tax break to millionaires and billionaires and partially offsets it with the largest health care cut in U.S. history, cuts to food assistance programs, and elimination of millions of clean energy construction jobs. The net result is a bill that raises health care and home energy costs and still turbocharges the deficit by trillions of dollars. Incredibly, the party that proclaims to be fiscally conservative just enacted the largest deficit increase in U.S. history and raised the debt limit to pay for tax breaks for the likes of Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.
“Over the last four months, I’ve crisscrossed Connecticut’s Second District at town hall meetings and heard from our health care heroes about the real-life impacts of H.R. 1’s massive health care cuts. From Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London to Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford, I heard the same story from health care providers: the nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid and Affordable Care Act cuts in H.R. 1 will strip hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents of their health care coverage and everyone will pay. Emergency rooms will be flooded, and hospitals and community health centers will be forced to cut services or even close. It’s not just me saying that. Hospital organizations from across the country voiced strong opposition to H.R. 1.
“The vote on this bill was a gut check for our country. Its passage is an appalling failure of fiscal responsibility and fairness. President Trump and the Republican majority have now showed that they care more about making the rich richer than they do about making America stronger and more affordable for working and middle-class families. Like any law, it can be overturned, and over time, the will of the majority will ensure that it is.”
Background
Over the past four months, Congressman Courtney has held town halls, press conferences, and site visits to hear the real-life impacts of the harmful provisions in H.R. 1:
Visit and Press Conference at Charter Oaks Family Health Center (March 6th)
Visit to Day Kimball Hospital (March 18th)
Save Medicaid Rally at CT State Capitol (March 18th)
Groton Town Hall with CT AFL-CIO (March 19th)
Windham Town Hall (March 21st)
Visit and Press Conference at Connecticut Children’s Hospital (April 4th)
Visit to United Community & Family Services Health Center (April 11th)
Old Saybrook Estuary Senior Center (April 15th)
Visit to New London Community Meal Center (May 12th)
Tolland Town Hall (May 29th)
Madison Town Hall (June 2nd)
Meeting with New England Council (June 16th)
Visit to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital (June 20th)
Visit to Johnson Memorial Hospital (June 30th)
Visit to Groton Public Schools Summer Meals Program (July 1st)
The “Big Beautiful Bill”, H.R. 1, Guts Health Care & Puts Hospitals on the Brink
H.R. 1 cuts Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by nearly $1 trillion, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. This is the largest health care cut in American history.
Additionally, H.R. 1 will force Medicare cuts of $500 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Under H.R. 1’s health care cuts, 17 million Americans nationwide will lose health care coverage, according to the Congressional Budget office, including 186,580 in Connecticut’s Second District.
H.R. 1 will increase health care premiums by an average of $1,560 for Connecticut’s Second District residents covered under the Affordable Care Act.
Hospital organizations across the country have warned that these cuts will strain emergency rooms with newly uninsured patients leading to service cuts and hospital closures. Hospital organizations who voiced opposition to H.R. 1 include the American Hospital Association, the Catholic Health Association, the Children’s Hospital Association, America’s Essential Hospitals, and the Federation of American Hospitals.
In recent weeks, Rep. Courtney visited Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London and Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford to discuss the devastating impact H.R. 1’s health care cuts will have on their services.
The “Big Beautiful Bill”, H.R. 1, Cuts Food Programs
H.R. 1 cuts funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by nearly $200 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office, with states expected to make up the gap in funding.
- In Connecticut, 34,000 residents are expected to lose some or all of their SNAP benefits, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
- This comes at a time when Americans continue to face high food costs, and many consumer goods are expected to cost even more under President Trump’s tariff policies.
- The Trump Administration has also clawed back funding for USDA programs that support operations at Connecticut food banks and meal centers.
The “Big Beautiful Bill”, H.R. 1, Eliminates Construction Jobs
- By canceling clean energy tax credits, H.R. 1 would threaten 1.75 million construction jobs nationwide, according to the North America’s Building Trades Unions.
- In Eastern Connecticut, wind turbine assembly at State Pier New London is supported by clean energy tax credits which will be eliminated under H.R. 1.
The “Big Beautiful Bill”, H.R. 1, Blows Up the Deficit
H.R. 1 makes permanent the 2017 Trump tax cuts which have heavily favored the top 1% and done little to benefit low- and middle-income Americans event as the cuts exploded deficits.
Under this ultra-wealthy tax break, H.R. 1 increases the deficit by $3.4 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
This comes at a time when the national debt is close to $40 trillion, and the United States is paying monthly interest payments of close to $89 billion/month.