A heated confrontation erupted during a House Rules Committee meeting on Wednesday as Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), the committee’s chair, came under fierce criticism from Democratic Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-OR) over a Republican tax and spending cuts proposal that threatens deep reductions to Medicaid and food assistance programs.
The legislation, dubbed the “Big, Beautiful Bill” by Republicans and praised by President Donald Trump, was at the center of the fiery exchange. Bynum, appalled by the title, dismissed the bill in no uncertain terms. “I want to start off by saying just how laughable it is to be calling this bill ‘beautiful,’ and I’d like to replace that word with ‘trash,’” Bynum declared. “It’s a trash bill. And here’s why.”
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She went on to outline the proposed $300 billion in food assistance cuts, arguing it would jeopardize healthcare for nearly 14 million Americans and force families to choose between “putting food on the table” and “filling a prescription.”
“Madam Chair, I came here today to try and make this trash bill just a little bit better,” Bynum continued. “To try and protect my constituents from its harmful cuts. But I have little faith that the authors of this trash care enough about the American people to do it.”
Bynum then directed her attention squarely at Chairwoman Foxx, challenging her with stark statistics on how the bill would affect Foxx’s own district in North Carolina. “Madam Chair, I brought the data. Let me tell you what the numbers look like. In your district, 201,000 people will lose health care because of this bill. That’s 27% of your constituents,” Bynum said.
She expanded her attack to include several other Republican lawmakers, each of whom represents districts where tens of thousands of residents depend on Medicaid or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). “In Rep. Fischbach’s district, it’s over 165,000. Rep. Ralph Norman: 148,000 people will lose health care in his district.
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Rep. Chip Roy, 56,000 people use SNAP to feed their families,” Bynum said. “And in Rep. Erin Houchin’s, it’s 54,000. Over 83,000 kids get health care through Medicaid in Rep. Nick Langworthy’s district. Rep. Austin Scott: 124,000 kids. Rep. Brian Jack: 88,000 kids. And in Rep. Morgan Griffith’s, it’s nearly 107,000.”
Bynum ended her remarks with a powerful appeal: “Madam Chair, get your colleagues focused on serving the American people.” The bill remains under debate, but the exchange has intensified the partisan divide over the GOP’s sweeping cuts.
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