Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Calling On Republicans To Stop The Rush Job On Their “Big, Ugly Bill”

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor to call on his Republican colleagues to stop rushing their “Big, Ugly Bill” and abandon these destructive policies that would gut healthcare and food assistance and explode the debt. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

It’s been a pretty rough week for Donald Trump’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill.”

As everyone watching can tell, things haven’t gone according to plan at all.

The bill has been bucking under its own weight.

The delays have piled up.

And it’s obvious large chunks of the Republican conference don’t like their own bill.

But of course, we’re hearing that Republicans may still try to bring this legislation to the floor as soon as tomorrow.

This is not real legislating. This is a total rush job.

This is Donald Trump bullying Senate Republicans to get a bill passed, no matter what is actually in it.

And this is Republican leadership perhaps daring their own members—who are deeply worried about this bill—to oppose it on the floor. 

So, if Republicans do in fact proceed very soon, let me remind them about the consequences of passing this bill.

It will be a disaster for families, for the economy, and even for Republicans themselves.

It rips health care from 16 million people.

It has the biggest cuts ever to food funding.

It raises energy prices.

It surrenders American energy leadership to China.

And it rewards the ultra-rich.

Republicans should abandon these destructive policies. But of course, they aren’t doing that.

Instead of fixing their bill, Republicans want to rush it—because they don’t want the American people to find what’s in it.

And their fears are certainly justified, because the more and more that Americans look at this bill, the more and more they despise it.

It steals their Medicaid.

It jacks up premiums.

It takes away their jobs.

And it gives trillions away to billionaires and special interests.

This is a nonsense and destructive piece of legislation.

And it makes no sense for Republicans to scramble to pass it.

There’s nothing inherently critical about July 4th.

Even Donald Trump two hours ago admitted the July 4th deadline is fake.

And yet here they are, rushing, scrambling, twisting themselves into knots to try to salvage a bill they know will hurt both their constituents and their own political futures.

Republicans aren’t just lying to their constituents—frankly, they’re lying to themselves. Because this bill is wholly toxic.

Here’s what Republicans should do: they should not let Donald Trump bully them.

They should hold firm and tell Donald Trump his "Big, Beautiful Bill" is a disaster and a betrayal of the American people.

Republicans should keep their own promises not to cut Medicaid.

They should listen to the critiques of some of their own colleagues, like Senator Tillis, who reportedly said behind closed doors: “This will be devastating to my state.”

Or Senator Justice, who said: “our rural hospitals are going to have a tough time […] you may have to hold your nose’ and vote for disagreeable policies.”

Senate Republicans should listen to their own words.

They should ignore fake deadlines

And stop the rush job.

###