HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Republican-backed tax bill, known by President Donald Trump as the “big, beautiful bill,” passed the U.S. Congress on July 3, with local leaders saying the bill would cut healthcare coverage for more than 40,000 Hawai?i residents.
In a joint statement between Gov. Josh Green, U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz as well as U.S. Representatives Ed Case and Jill Tokuda, the bill is described as “terrible.”
“The Republican tax bill breaks promises, and guts funding for healthcare and food assistance that thousands of Hawai?i families rely on every day. It’s a terrible bill that we all strongly opposed. While it won’t be easy to stop all the damage from these cuts, we’re moving quickly to protect our communities,” the statement said in part.
The state leaders went on to discuss their action plan for their constituents, including providing resources.
“Over the next few weeks, we’ll be meeting with state and local officials, community partners and service providers to assess the fiscal impact on Hawai?i and develop operational plans to blunt the harm. That includes coordinating resources, setting local priorities and making sure the most vulnerable aren’t left without support,” the statement continued. “These next few years won’t be easy, but we are mobilizing now to respond, protect our people and make sure Hawai?i can weather what’s coming.”
In a separate, individual statement, Case said the tax bill fails to represent strong values.
“[The bill] gifts a massive tax break to those who have benefited the most from our society and east need help. It pays for that tax cut by borrowing from our future, plunging our nation into another $5 trillion of debt,” Case said.
His statement continued to address how the bill “guts” nutrition and healthcare programs, housing, clean energy and more.
“As a tragic, cruel measure that so deeply benefits so few so well at the expense of so many so severely, it accelerates deepening inequality and division throughout our country and further stretches the fraying fabric of our society,” Case said.
Echoing similar sentiments in her own separate, individual statement, Tokuda called the “big beautiful bill” a “big ugly bill.”
“It’s been sickening to see Republicans fast track a bill that’s not just bad policy, it’s reckless and selfish, and it’s a betrayal to our people. The bill would rip lifesaving Medicaid coverage from 17 million Americans, including 150,000 in Hawai?i, and take food out of the mouths of 42 million people who rely on SNAP to feed their families, including 22,000 right here at home,” Tokuda said in part.
The bill is now heading to Trump’s desk for his signature.
By: Cameron Macedonio
Source: KHON 2