(WWJ) House Republicans pulled an all-nighter and passed a tax breaks package President Trump and supporters call the One Big Beautiful Bill Act early Thursday morning.
Shortly after the 215-214 vote, Michigan Congresswoman Lisa McClain said "we just made history and passed the One Big Beautiful Bill, despite the Democrats fearmongering."
Her fellow Republican Tom Barrett said the legislation will lower the cost of living, secure the border and unleash American energy.
“Not only does H.R. 1 deliver the largest tax cut in history for the working class and small businesses, it eliminates taxes on tips and overtime pay, makes American-made cars built in Michigan more affordable, provides significant relief for seniors collecting Social Security benefits, and boosts the child tax credit to support families across the country."
In a statement, Barrett also said the legislation strengthens the integrity of Medicaid, preserving it for mothers, children, people with disabilities, and seniors who need it most – not illegal immigrants and able-bodied adults who choose not to work.
Speaking with WWJ's Beth Fisher after the vote, Democrat Debbie Dingell said she's concerned about what this means for people in Michigan.
"I've been very focused on what will happen to people who use Medicaid, almost 14 million people in this country, according to the Congressional Budget Office, will lose their health insurance, several hundred thousand of those are in Michigan, Dingell said. "I'm worried about the children and the seniors. It's the largest payer of long term care in this country and people with disabilities."
Dingell said in a statement "people will die, children will go hungry, and working Americans will continue to struggle to make ends meet, all so Republicans can give another tax break to billionaires. It’s wrong and they know it – which is why they planned to pass it in the middle of the night.
Republicans say the legislation restores Medicaid for those whom the program was intended to serve: expectant mothers, children, people with disabilities, and the elderly. In addition, they say the bill will eliminates taxes on tips and overtime pay, and makes interest payments on American-made vehicles fully deductible, allow middle and low-income seniors to deduct an additional $4,000 on their Social Security benefits and cuts taxes by as much as 15% for middle-class Americans who earn between $30,000 and $80,000.
The Congressional Budget Office says the tax provisions would add $3.8 trillion to federal deficits.
The Midwest Independent Retailers Association, based in Michigan, was among those opposed to the bill saying it would strip $300 billion in nutrition spending over the next 10 years, as well as slash $5 billion in funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"We are standing with grocers across America who strongly believe that no American should go hungry,” said Bill Wild, president and CEO of MIRA said in a statement. “That is why we are urging Congress to minimize cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding during the reconciliation process. Many of our independent retailers serve rural and underserved areas, which play a vital role in distributing SNAP benefits. Reducing SNAP funding would jeopardize the well-being of the most vulnerable individuals; it threatens the sustainability of community grocery stores that are essential to local economies."
The bill next goes to the U.S. Senate.