'Big Beautiful Bill' Passed By House: What It Means For CT

CONNECTICUT — President Trump's "big beautiful bill" was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday, a day before his July 4 deadline, and a major victory for his administration's landmark legislation.

The final vote tally was 218-214, nearly entirely along party lines. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky broke from their Republican colleagues to vote with all the Democrats.

Every member of Connecticut's delegation voted against the bill, which Gov. Ned Lamont said would "have devastating impacts on millions of Americans for years to come" in a statement issued Thursday.

Speaking on MSNBC, Sen. Chris Murphy described the bill as "the most deeply immoral piece of legislation that I have ever voted on in my entire time in Congress."

From the floor of the Senate, Sen. Richard Blumenthal warned Congress that the bill was "un-American, bcause it is so destructive to the middle class."

Republicans voting in favor of the "once‑in‑a‑generation" achievement have touted its provisions for tax relief, border security, and defense. They have argued the cuts to welfare programs are necessary to "root out waste, fraud and abuse," and that many people who have been enjoying the benefits programs are not entitled to them.

The yeoman's work of social safety net funding will now fall to the states, and Lamont said most will not be up to the task.

"Here in Connecticut, our 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," Lamont said.

House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora called Lamont's response to passage of the "Big Beautiful Bill" a "sky-is-falling meltdown."

"After years of punishing job creators, squeezing household budgets, and plotting to expand government dependency, Democrats here have nothing to offer but fearmongering and finger-pointing," Candelora said. "And now, in a desperate bid for attention and a political reset, their party is openly embracing socialism."

The governor said he would be analyzing the bill in the coming days to determine its impact on existing state services and the biennial budget, and would be discussing next steps with the General Assembly.

Drama in the House

House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, used his "magic minute" on the House floor to speak out against Trump's bill, calling it an "all-out assault" on ordinary Americans.

"I feel the obligation, Mr. Speaker, to stand on this House floor and take my sweet time to tell the stories of the American people and that's exactly what I intend to do," Jeffries added. "Take my sweet time on behalf of the American people."

The bill would be an extension of the 2017 tax cuts from Trump's first term, which are set to expire after December.

The more than 1,000-page bill also includes many of Trump's 2024 campaign promises, including no tax on tips and overtime wages.

The Bill

The 1,200‑page package includes:

• A permanent extension to the 2017 Trump tax cuts, while exempting overtime pay, tips and some Social Security income from taxation.
• 80‑hour‑per‑month work requirements on many adults receiving Medicaid and enforce existing SNAP work rules to additional beneficiaries.
• Repealing most clean‑energy tax credits created under the previous administration.
• Approval for a $40 billion border security surge and funding for a nationwide deportation effort.
• Raising the federal debt ceiling by $5 trillion.

Tax Cuts

• An estimated $4.5 trillion in tax cuts
• The existing tax rates and brackets would become permanent.
• Temporary new tax breaks that Trump campaigned on: no taxes on tips, overtime pay, the ability to deduct interest payments for some automotive loans, along with a $6,000 deduction for older adults who earn no more than $75,000 a year.
• $2,000 child tax credit is raised to $2,200. Millions of families at lower income levels, however, would not get the full credit.
• State and local deductions caps, called SALT, would quadruple to $40,000 for five years.
• Certain businesses will be able to immediately write off 100 percent of the cost of equipment and research.
• Wealthy households would see a $12,000 increase from the legislation, also costing the poorest people $1,600 a year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House’s version.
• Middle-income citizens would see a break of $500 to $1,500, the CBO said.

Border Security

More than $140 billion towards the efforts to crack down on illegal immigration:

• $50 billion for the border wall
• $45 billion for detention centers
• $8 billion towards compensating immigration officers
• $14 billion towards the costs of deportations

Medicaid

Budget that would cap how much states can collect in hospital assessment fees used to draw federal Medicaid matches, significantly reducing Medicaid spending to help pay for an extension of expiring tax cuts.

National Debt

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill would increase the U.S. deficit by $2.4 trillion through 2034 if passed. The Senate's version of the bill also raises the U.S. debt ceiling by $5 trillion, the largest increase in American history.

The Lead Up

On Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie in the Senate to pass the bill after three Republicans had defected. An original version passed in the House by a narrow margin in May, where it was now being reconciled for final approval.

A handful of Republicans have joined Democrats in being vocal about their opposition of some of the issues over the last few months. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has been critical of the bill because it includes a provision that would ban states from regulating artificial intelligence. On Steve Bannon's War Room podcast, she said that the fight to stop the bill's passage was "far from over" and said "there's no way" it would pass in the House.

She has since voted in favor of advancing the bill.

In the hours leading up to Thursday's House vote, President Trump relayed his thoughts on Truth Social, writing: "Largest Tax Cuts in History and a Booming Economy vs. Biggest Tax Increase in History, and a Failed Economy. What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT'S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!"

The bill now awaits Donald Trump's signature, which it's expected to receive during a ceremony on Independence Day.

With reporting from Patch correspondents Eddie Callahan and Justin Heinze