Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Wednesday denounced President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill as a “scam” and a “deal with the devil” in a fiery speech on the House floor.
As the sprawling bill inches toward passage, Ocasio-Cortez accused Trump of lying about the measure that cuts Medicaid and food stamps for the poor while slashing taxes on tips along with big breaks for the wealthy and big corporations.
“It doesn’t take a smart person to know if you are being lied to,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “President Trump, you’re either being lied to or you are lying to the American people.”
The progressive firebrand drew cheers from fellow Democrats as she accused GOP lawmakers of engineering “the largest and greatest loss of healthcare in American history.” She said 17 million would lose coverage due to the bill’s harsh cuts although non-partisan watchdog groups has put the number at 11 million.
A former waitress, Ocasio-Cortez called Trump ‘s move to end tax on tips “a scam” and pointed out that the Senate imposed a $25,000 cap on the benefit, which she predicted would be canceled out by cuts in health care and SNAP food assistance.
“You do the math.” she said. “Is that worth it to you?”
The speech came as Republicans, who hold a 220-212 edge, were moving through some procedural steps before the bill comes for a final vote. Some Republican lawmakers vowed to vote against the bill but most observers believe enough will cave to Trump to pass it despite the misgivings.
Democrats can rail against the bill but cannot block it unless at least four Republicans break ranks.
Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of Queens and the Bronx, called Republicans hypocrites for claiming to stand up for working people.
“This bill is a deal with the devil,” she said, ending the speech by addressing GOP colleagues directly. “You should be ashamed.”
