(Top from L to R) Shri Thanedar, Pramila Jayapal, Suhas Subramanyam. (Below from L to R) Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ami Bera, Ro Khanna / File Photo

Indian American House democrats expressed disappointment after the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax-cut and spending bill, sending it to his desk for signature. 

Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ami Bera, Shri Thanedar, and Suhas Subramanyam—voted against what they described as a "cruel" and "reckless" measure that disproportionately benefits the wealthy while gutting key safety-net programs.

Also Read: Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill wins congressional approval

Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) criticised the bill, calling it “a cruel, horrific betrayal that will leave Americans poorer and sicker.”

“This bill throws 17 million Americans off health care and increases health care costs for everyone. It will shutter over 300 rural hospitals, close over 500 nursing homes, and defund Planned Parenthood clinics that provide cancer screenings and basic reproductive care,” she said in a detailed statement. “It will slash food assistance for millions of hungry families, the largest cut in the history of the SNAP nutrition program.”

Republicans passed Trump’s Big Bad Betrayal Bill to kick 17 million Americans off their health care for a billionaire tax cut. Cruel, horrifying, and outrageous.

But we must not lose hope. Democrats will not only fight back — we’ll fight forward, press on, and justice will be… pic.twitter.com/Nfu5vUQTRE

— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) July 3, 2025

Jayapal further warned the legislation would “make electric bills more expensive,” “kill over a million good-paying jobs,” and “supercharge ICE’s kidnapping and disappearing of people of all legal statuses.” 

She accused Republicans of orchestrating “the largest ever transfer of wealth from poor and working people to the richest,” and concluded: “I voted HELL NO and will never give up the fight to stand up for my constituents who deserve so much better.”

The 869-page bill passed the House 218–214, with two Republicans joining all Democrats in opposition. It had earlier cleared the Senate 51–50, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) said he drove 14 hours from Illinois to Washington to vote against the legislation, which he called “cruel and reckless.”

“This ‘Large Lousy Law’—Donald Trump's budget—rips health care from millions, spikes costs for working families, and hands out massive tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. It's a moral failure—punishing those trying to make it while rewarding those who already have it made,” he said. “I will never stop fighting to protect the people of Illinois from this kind of betrayal.”

My statement on the passage of the Large Lousy Law: pic.twitter.com/hSVAkksoBe

— Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) July 3, 2025

Rep. Shri Thanedar (MI-13) issued a scathing statement, saying, “This Big Ugly Bill will cause 17 million people to lose access to healthcare, and take food off the table for 2 million more, all to give billionaires yet another tax break,” Thanedar said. “My district has the fourth highest SNAP participation rate in the country at 29%, and 47% of our district relies on Medicaid to get the healthcare they need to survive. My decision to vote no on this bill was the easiest I’ve had as an elected official, as these cuts will deeply harm every single person in my congressional district.”

He called the bill “a massive betrayal of the working class” by President Trump and the Republican Party, adding:

“President Trump repeatedly stated that he would cut costs on Day 1. But less than 6 months after his inauguration, he will sign into law the largest cuts to Healthcare and Food Assistance in American history. This bill will raise costs for working people, and make it that much harder for them to succeed.”

Today, I proudly voted HELL NO on the One Big Ugly Bill. While this bill unfortunately passed the House, I will do everything I can to keep fighting against this bill and the Trump administration's awful policies. pic.twitter.com/Y9veNhPeWF

— Congressman Shri Thanedar (@RepShriThanedar) July 3, 2025

Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) warned that the bill would hurt working families in his home state of Virginia. “This One Big Ugly Bill is a betrayal,” he said in a statement. “It will raise prices, strip health care and food from millions, and bankrupt our country by adding trillions to the national debt.”

Subramanyam also pointed to provisions he said specifically targeted Virginia—making local flights more expensive, allocating funds to move the Space Shuttle Discovery from the state, and authorizing a $100 million slush fund that could jeopardize local federal jobs.

I voted NO on the One Big Ugly Bill. Here’s why. pic.twitter.com/bdzhgIjJbW

— Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) (@RepSuhas) July 3, 2025

Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17), an economist by training, used his video statement to explain the consequences in plain terms, saying, “As a former lecturer of economics at Stanford, I just want to explain simply and factually why Trump's budget bill is going to hurt America... First, this takes away money from low-income folks, from working class folks, and puts more money in the pockets of the very wealthy,” Khanna said. “Poor folks, working class folks, spend the money. Rich folks, they save the money. So this is going to mean less consumer spending, and it’s going to slow down our economy.”

Ami Bera (CA-06) stated simply, “I just voted NO on Donald Trump's ‘Big Ugly Bill.’ Democrats stand united against this harmful and irresponsible legislation.”

The legislation—labeled the “Big Ugly Bill” by its critics—makes permanent Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, while introducing new tax breaks for tipped income, overtime pay, seniors, and auto loans. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the measure would add $3.4 trillion to the national debt, largely by cutting Medicaid, Medicare, education, green energy incentives, and nutrition assistance programs.

While Republicans touted the bill as delivering "historic tax relief" and improving border security, Democrats said the cost to average Americans was too high.

In an impassioned, record-breaking 8-hour and 46-minute floor speech, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “The justification for all of the cuts that will hurt everyday Americans is to provide massive tax breaks for billionaires.”

Despite unanimous Democratic opposition, the bill is now headed to President Trump, who is expected to sign it on the July 4 holiday.