Congressman Cleaver’s Statement on Vote Against Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) voted against Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill, which betrays working families by making the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in history to fund more tax breaks that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest Americans, while adding trillions to the national debt.

“Despite Democratic warnings about electing a billionaire with a long history of failed businesses and a reputation for stiffing workers, the American people re-elected Donald Trump under the guise that he would protect programs like Medicaid and fight for hardworking families and forgotten communities. With the passage of President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill, those lofty promises will go unfulfilled and American families will experience the largest transfer of wealth from the working-class to the exorbitantly wealthy in American history—a travesty that could take decades to undo.

“According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, nonpartisaneconomists, and even a handful of courageous Republicans willing to speak the truth, the Big Ugly Bill makes the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in the history of these vital programs. It will rip healthcare away from 17 million Americans, including 265,000 in Missouri, take food assistance away from five million families, and eliminate access to school meals for 18 million children. 

“For those who do not lose access to these programs, it will send energy prices and healthcare costs soaring, as it makes massive cuts to critical investments in clean energy and the Affordable Care Act. For our kids and grandkids, it will saddle them with at least another three trillion dollars in additional debt. And it enacts all of these painful and pitiful policies to provide more tax breaks to the wealthiest families in our communities, ensuring the widening chasm in income inequality accelerates to a dangerous degree.

“At a time when American families are struggling with the cost of living, it is morally reprehensible and supremely sinful to take from the poor to give more handouts to the richest among us—but that is precisely what President Trump and Republicans have chosen to do. As Democrats in Congress continue the fight to rollback these deeply regressive policies so that we can invest in communities and lower costs for hardworking families in the years to come, this betrayal will not be forgotten by the American people.”

According to independent estimates, Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill will:

• Kick 17 million Americans off their health insurance and make premiums, deductibles, and copays soar for millions more: The bill cuts more than $1 trillion from healthcare, including the largest cut to Medicaid in history, and could cause a $500 billion cut to Medicare. According to one analysis, more than 50,000 people will die annually because of these cuts.
• Cut staff and close hospitals and nursing homes in communities nationwide: As many as 300 hospitals, especially those in rural areas, will have to cut services and staff – if not close completely. One in four nursing homes are estimated to close.
• Make largest cut to nutritional assistance in history: The bill cuts SNAP by 20 percent, while forcing states to cover more of SNAP’s cost – which could lead to dozens of states eliminating SNAP entirely. Red tape requirements will cause 5 million people to lose food assistance and put roughly 18 million kids at risk of losing school breakfast and lunch.
• Increase energy costs: With devastating cuts to clean energy, families will pay an average of $400 more per year in energy costs nationwide. Seniors and low-income people will also have an even harder time getting assistance to pay their energy bills.
• Kill more than a million jobs: Data show that massive cuts to clean energy will cost more than 840,000 jobs in just the next five years and an additional 790,000 jobs over the next ten years.
• Weaken our public schools and make higher education more expensive: The bill creates a permanent, unlimited tax credit for private school vouchers that undermine our public schools, while attacking protections for student borrowers and cutting Pell grants for working class students.
• Add more than $3.3 trillion to the national debt: This does not include an additional estimated $700 billion in interest payments expected over the next ten years. The bill will cause our debt to rise to as much as 128% of our GDP by 2034, threatening to bankrupt our country and mortgaging our children’s futures.
• Overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest 1% of Americans: The bill gives almost a trillion dollars in tax cuts to the top 1% of households, transferring money from the poorest Americans to the wealthiest. People making over $1 million will have an average tax cut of at least $80,000 a year while the bottom 20% of families will see their taxes rise.

According to the House Committee on the Budget, the Big Ugly Bill will have the following impact on Missouri’s 5^th Congressional District:

• Rip healthcare away from Missouri families and raise healthcare costs: An estimated 265,298 Missourians will lose health insurance, and Missourians covered under the Affordable Care Act will see an average increase of $710 in premiums. Four rural hospitals across the state will be at risk of closing due to Medicaid cuts.
• Raise food costs: At least 58,000 Missourians are at risk of lose some or all food assistance.
• Kill manufacturing jobs and raise energy costs: 37,000 manufacturing and energy jobs in Missouri will be eliminated. Missourians will see an $800 average yearly increase in energy bills due to cuts to clean energy.
• Increase the cost of higher education: 66,960 students in Missouri could have their Pell grants cut or eliminated entirely.

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Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.