Connecticut Democrats once again voted against President Donald J. Trump’s “big beautiful bill” as Republicans took their final step Thursday afternoon to pass much of his second-term agenda. The vote came after significant delays and the arm-twisting of holdouts, but Republicans got it done before their self-imposed deadline of July 4.
The House voted 218-214 largely along party lines, with only two Republicans opposed and all five Democratic members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation voting against it. Major divisions held up the bill Wednesday, with a bloc of Republicans raising concerns about the changes made by the Senate and wanting it to look like the original House bill. Leadership held a procedural vote open for multiple hours as they worked to get enough support, making it the longest vote in the history of the lower chamber.
A subsequent procedural vote to move to final passage also stalled late Wednesday and into the early morning. But Congress finished the monthslong process of crafting and passing a bill through budget reconciliation. This allows them to bypass filibusters in the Senate and pass certain kinds of bills without relying on votes from Democrats. And Republicans ultimately met their goal of getting a bill to Trump’s desk before the holiday.
“Some of us have literally been up for days now, but this day is a hugely important one in the history of our nation,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said just before the final vote.
“Today for us was about results. Democrats deliver performances and Republicans deliver results,” he added, referencing the House Democratic leader’s speech railing against the bill that broke the record for longest floor speech. “We’re going to deliver what we were sent here to do and every American will benefit from it.”
Trump is expected to sign the bill on Friday.
The House initially passed its own version of the sweeping bill in late May, but it inevitably faced major changes as it made its way over to the Senate. On Tuesday, the Senate narrowly advanced its own legislation, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie and casting the deciding vote. The House needed to take another vote on the Senate-amended version before it fully cleared Congress and could get signed into law.
With Republicans in full control of Congress and the White House, Democrats were left out of the mix and with no negotiating power. But they sought to delay procedural votes on the bill, a symbolic move to show their support for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.
And as they were winding down Thursday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., spoke for nearly nine hours before the final vote and read stories of people across the U.S. who rely on different government services that are at risk. That delayed the vote until midafternoon.
And on Wednesday, more than 100 members — including U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5th District — spent nearly an hour making unanimous consent requests to amend the rule on the bill.
“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to amend the rule to make an order the amendment at the desk that protects against any cuts to Medicaid and SNAP,” Hayes and other lawmakers said as they went one by one to make the request on the House floor. Republicans objected to each request.
States and their finances will likely take some of the biggest hits as they account for new changes and shifts in funding for social services. That could end up having a ripple effect on how their residents qualify for certain programs like Medicaid and SNAP or reduce benefits.
“This bill is going to have devastating impacts on millions of Americans for years to come and was passed for the sole purpose of giving tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires,” said Gov. Ned Lamont, in a statement. “It will amount to a massive income transfer from the poorest and most vulnerable Americans to the wealthiest. Not only does this plan bankrupt the federal government, but it slashes critical safety net programs, particularly Medicaid and SNAP, that so many hard-working American families need for their health and survival.”
Connecticut officials said they are monitoring what the federal bill means for the state and the services it provides, particularly surrounding health care.
“I’d like [Connecticut residents] to know that we are incredibly vigilant around this,” Connecticut Department of Social Services Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves said in an interview with The Connecticut Mirror Thursday.
“Many of us doing this work are not sleeping because we’re extraordinarily concerned about people falling off the rolls and being without health care,” she added. The state is “trying to do all that we can to try to preserve as much coverage under the new federal rules as we possibly can and we will help them navigate the changes.”
Lamont said his administration is “dedicated to doing what we can do mitigate some of the impact of what this bill will cause, but with a federal administration insistent on eliminating critical safety nets it is going to be nearly impossible for any state to backfill the billions in federal cuts we are going to face.”
He said he would be meeting with state lawmakers to analyze the bill and determine its impact on the state budget.
Democrats argue the bill will disproportionately benefit wealthier Americans and big corporations, balloon the national debt and cut critical services. And they have been highlighting the painstakingly long votes and tight margins in both chambers to show that even some Republicans are skeptical about the bill.
At a Congressional Black Caucus press conference Wednesday, Hayes argued the provisions in the bill are “direct attacks on our youngest generation” based on the implications it has on education and SNAP.
And she said it could further hurt communities that are disproportionately affected by food insecurity. She noted that nearly 27% of Black families are SNAP recipients.
Cuts to SNAP could also have additional implications for kids beyond the home. She said that if children no longer get SNAP benefits, that could also result in them losing access to free or reduced-price lunches at school since schools get reimbursed for serving meals to eligible students. Kids on SNAP automatically qualify for such meals.
“We can afford to feed children in the United States of America and even more, we can afford to educate children in the United States of America,” Hayes said. “Republicans are not just cutting budgets, they’re cutting futures.”
The bill seeks to extend the tax breaks in the 2017 tax law that passed during Trump’s first term and will expire at the end of the year. It would also steer billions of dollars in immigration funding, including money for a border wall and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And it would phase out clean energy tax credits passed during the Biden administration related to electric vehicles and consumer tax credits.
The legislation would make many of the tax breaks permanent from 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including lower income tax rates. A number of tax provisions were amended or narrowed in the Senate bill.
The bill raises the $10,000 threshold on deductions for state and local taxes, or SALT, to $40,000, which would get phased out for those who make over $500,000. It raises the cap through 2029, which would return to the current threshold after that.
If the cap increases, it would be especially beneficial for higher cost-of-living states like Connecticut. In 2022, state taxpayers had the highest average SALT deduction, around $9,100, just under the current $10,000 cap, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. That year, 11% of the state’s returns claimed SALT, one of the highest rates in the U.S.
Other tax provisions would permanently raise the child tax credit from $2,000 to $2,200 starting in 2026, with one parent who needs to have a Social Security number to claim it. Some workers would be able to deduct overtime pay or tips from their federal income tax, but those tax breaks would expire at the end of 2028. And seniors who are 65 and older with low to middle incomes would be able to make an additional $6,000 deduction for the next few years.
To pay for these tax provisions, the bill includes steep spending cuts, which would have a direct impact on some safety net programs and state finances.
To qualify for Medicaid as an adult between 19 and 64, a recipient would need to work or participate in training, education or community service at least 80 hours a month, though there are some exemptions. States will need to check on eligibility more often.
Work requirements will also apply to adults with children who are 14 years and older. It also adds a provision that blocks Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood for one year. Federal law already prohibits funding going toward abortions with a few exceptions, but it could threaten other services those clinics provide like cancer screenings, birth control and other types of routine care.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which analyzes and scores federal legislation, estimated that about 138,000 people could lose Medicaid coverage in Connecticut, with the higher end of enrollment loss up to 172,000. That estimate is based off of the House version of the bill.
On SNAP benefits, more older Americans will need to work or train at least 80 hours a month. The bill raises the age limit for able-bodied adults without dependents from 54 to 64. It also changes the age of a dependent regarding SNAP. Now, able-bodied adults with children 14 and older will fall under the new work requirement.
States like Connecticut would need to pay a portion of SNAP benefits for the first time in the program’s history as well as take on more of the administrative costs. That has raised concerns about potential benefit cuts if states cannot fill in the gap.
CT Mirror reporter Katy Golvala contributed to this story.
The Connecticut Mirror/Connecticut Public Radio federal policy reporter position is made possible, in part, by funding from the Robert and Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation.
This story was originally published by the Connecticut Mirror.
