PROVIDENCE, RI – At a time when many Americans believe government should be more responsive to everyday families, Congressional Republicans are working on a law to kick millions of Americans off their health care coverage and food assistance programs this week, with House passage of President Donald Trump’s irresponsible tax bill that will increase poverty to enrich the ultra-wealthy, while doing nothing to lower costs.

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Republican reconciliation package would cause millions of Americans to lose access to their affordable health care and leave Americans in worse financial shape.

According to the Center on American Progress, under the House Republican bill, roughly 40,000 Rhode Islanders would be kicked off of their health insurance.  And 21,000 Rhode Islanders would lose access to SNAP, which provides nutrition assistance to vulnerable children, seniors, and families.

Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) spoke out against the bill:

“The numbers don’t lie.  And the ugly truth about the GOP’s so-called ‘big beautiful bill’ is that it’s a fiscally irresponsible betrayal of hardworking American taxpayers that will take away people’s health care and increase costs.

“The tax code should be simpler and fairer across the board, with tax breaks targeted to working people, not the uber-wealthy.

“The Republican bill takes from the poor to give to the rich and President Trump’s preferred special interests.  America cannot afford this ill-conceived and unbalanced proposal to take the most from the least and place a heavier financial burden on states and middle-class taxpayers.  I commend Congressmen Magaziner and Amo for opposing this bill in the House and I will strongly oppose it in the Senate.

“This bill rips away people’s health care.  It reduces vital nutrition assistance for children in need.  It will increase poverty -- further disadvantaging the most vulnerable Americans in order to give a bigger benefit to the top one percent.

“America’s credit rating has already been down-graded under Trump and this bill will make America’s financial outlook worse.  This so-called ‘big, beautiful bill’ will ultimately make it harder to access affordable health care and cause a big, ugly financial mess.”