|
JULY 3, 2025
Dear Fourth District Constituent,
As we prepare to celebrate the 4th of July, we can take pride that our Founding Fathers stood up to King George and struck a blow to tyranny with the signing of the Declaration of Independence 249 years ago. They then worked to enshrine the power of the people over kings in the U.S. Constitution.
Sadly today, Republicans are undercutting our Constitution by empowering President Trump as he dramatically overreaches his authority through illegal and unconstitutional actions. They are giving away the people’s power to hold our President accountable. Now they are giving Trump a gift fit for a king – a big ugly reconciliation bill that dramatically enriches and empowers Trump and his billionaire donors in ways that would have been unimaginable to our nation’s founders.
Using their majorities in the House and Senate, Republicans passed their bill this week by vote of 51-50 in the Senate – with Vice President JD Vance breaking a tie – and by a vote of 218-214 in the House. I joined every Democrat in voting NO! The legislation now goes to President Trump, who will sign it into law. House and Senate Republicans rushed their Big Ugly Bill through both chambers. President Trump demanded his agenda be enacted immediately and by doing so, the American people are just beginning to understand the consequences of this legislation.
Their Big Ugly Bill is a betrayal of middle class Americans – cutting roughly $1.3 TRILLION from health care and food assistance for families and giving roughly $1.3 TRILLION in tax breaks to those making over $500,000. And it results in an explosion of $4 TRILLION in red ink and interest – sticking every American child, woman, and man with an additional debt burden of $11,000.
Somehow the Senate made things even UGLIER than the earlier House version
The new Big Ugly Bill makes even steeper cuts to health care that will result in over $1 TRILLION in cuts with roughly $900 billion being slashed from Medicaid. It eliminates critical support for hospitals and care facilities, threatening closure of as many as 1 in 4 nursing homes. It directly targets food assistance for veterans and working families by removing potential exemptions from bureaucratic requirements. It holds back clean, affordable, American renewable energy production in order to benefit Republican donors in the fossil fuel industry. And it ignores the true cost of making tax breaks permanent by using gimmicks.
Big Ugly Truths of Trump’s Bill:
- It makes the largest cut to health care in American history and will cause 17 million Americans to lose their coverage with millions more having to pay higher premiums, co-pays, and deductibles.
- It makes the largest cut to food assistance in history, which will lead to hungry children, seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans by jeopardizing SNAP for 40 million Americans.
- Increases household energy costs by an average of $400 and will lead to millions of jobs lost, $197 billion in lost wages, and $290 billion in economic investment that will be ceded to countries like China.
- Will add $4 trillion to the national debt, including $700 billion in interest – adding more than $11,000 in debt burden on every child, every woman, and every man in America.
And it does all of this to give $1.3 TRILLION in tax breaks to billionaire Republican donors like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
A graph depicting the massive benefits given to the top 20% at the expense of the bottom 40%.
Consequence for Minnesotans
The One Big Ugly Bill strips away health care from more than 173,000 Minnesotans with disabilities, seniors, children, and working parents – that’s the equivalent of every resident of Woodbury, Maplewood, Stillwater, and Roseville losing their health care.
The big ugly truth is that at least 32,000 Minnesotans will go hungry without the SNAP food assistance they rely on – the equivalent of everyone in New Brighton and Arden Hills going to bed hungry every day. President Trump and his Republican Congressional enablers are cutting health care and food access for the most vulnerable Minnesotans to give permanent tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. The One Big Ugly Bill is a handout for the wealthy. People who make over a million dollars a year, on average, will see a tax cut of an additional $96,400 per year, or $264 per day. For those earning less than $50,000 per year, the average benefit is $0.68 per day. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Senate’s Big Ugly Bill raises the debt ceiling by $5 Trillion, 25% more than the $4 Trillion proposed in the House and hands out ridiculous tax breaks, like a $1.5 billion tax break on gun silencer purchases.
I will continue to lead with my Minnesota values and represent the voice of my community. I will always oppose any Republican efforts to cut Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, Veterans’ benefits, and nutrition assistance for Minnesota families.
Minnesota Tibetan Community Members Visit Washington
Last week I met with community members from the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota, one of the largest Tibetan communities in the county. They were in Washington, DC to celebrate the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. Thank you to everyone for discussing with me about how the United States can continue to work in partnership with the Tibetan diaspora. Happy 90th Birthday, Dalai Lama!
Congresswoman McCollum with constituents Dhega Khongtsotsang, Tenzin Lobsang, Tenzin Nangsa, and other advocates from the Tibetan American Foundation of America.
MINNESOTA UPDATE
Summer Food Services Program
Summer Food Service Program sites are open to anyone in the community under age 18—no registration or sign-up is required, so nutritious meals and snacks can be easily accessed, ensuring that no child has to go hungry. To find an SFSP site near you:
- Download the Free Meals for Kids app provided by Hunger Impact Partners to your phone or device.
- Call the 211 Hotline. From a cell phone – Twin Cities Metro Area: 651-291-0211, Greater Minnesota: 1-800-543-7709, TTY: 651-291-8440.
- Call the Minnesota Food HelpLine at 1-888-711-1151, available from Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Central Time.
- Text the USDA texting service: Text Summer Meals to 914-342-7744. Spanish speakers, text Verano to 914-342-7744.
Stay Safe During the 4th of July
Have a happy and safe 4th of July! I know fireworks are exciting, but it is important to remember that they are explosives and can be dangerous. Here are some tips from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety:
- Point fireworks away from people and animals.
- Use fireworks in an open area away from trees and houses.
- Extinguish and dispose of spent fireworks in a bucket of water.
- Do not try to relight a dud.
- Always use caution around fireworks and make sure children are supervised.
You can read more about Community 4th of July events here.
THANK YOU
Thank you to the hundreds of new subscribers to my weekly newsletter! This update is designed to provide timely information about my work in Washington and Minnesota, and to provide resources that can be helpful to you. As always, please stay in touch: Voice your policy opinion, ask for help with a federal agency, or find all of my recent statements at mccollum.house.gov.
Sincerely,
Betty McCollum
Member of Congress
|
