Black members of Congress are sounding the alarm after the House passed a Republican-backed reconciliation bill that critics say would devastate low-income Americans by slashing essential programs like healthcare, food assistance, and housing subsidies—all while enriching the wealthiest.
Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) minced no words in a blistering statement following the bill’s passage.
“House Republicans just sold out their constituents to the highest bidders: Donald Trump and his billionaire boys club,” she said. “They passed a monstrosity of a bill that strips millions of Americans of their healthcare, food assistance, housing, and more.”
The bill, pushed through during a late-night session, comes amid growing concern over the U.S. economy, with Moody’s recently downgrading the nation’s credit outlook. Kamlager-Dove connected the downgrade to policies she called “reckless,” citing Trump-era tariffs and the deepening burden on everyday Americans.
“The American people are suffering, and Donald Trump is to blame—along with every spineless Republican who refuses to stand up for their constituents,” she said. “Millions of lives are at stake.”
The Congressional Black Caucus echoed similar outrage.
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), a longtime CBC member, warned, “This bill is a betrayal of the very people we swore to protect. You don’t solve inflation by gutting food stamps. You don’t fight economic hardship by handing billionaires another tax break.”
CBC Chair Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) also criticized the bill as a “shameful, immoral attack on working families, Black and Brown communities, and the elderly.”
“This legislation shows us exactly where their priorities lie—and it’s not with the people. It’s with corporate donors, Wall Street, and a failed political legacy rooted in cruelty and greed,” Horsford said during a press briefing.
Policy experts have also raised alarms about the bill’s projected impact on safety net programs, with estimates suggesting millions could lose Medicaid coverage and SNAP benefits.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where its future remains uncertain. Democrats and moderate Republicans have signaled opposition, but Senate leadership has yet to confirm when or if the bill will come to a vote.
As the battle moves forward, Black lawmakers are urging their colleagues—and the American people—to stay vigilant.
“We are fighting for the soul of this nation,” Kamlager-Dove said. “And we will not allow the most vulnerable among us to be sacrificed for another billionaire tax cut.”