Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has sharply criticized former President Donald Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” warning that the country will face serious consequences once it fully grasps the implications of the legislation.
Since returning to the White House in January for a second term, Trump has focused on reviving the economy and ushering in what he calls a new “golden age” for America. His administration has announced sweeping tariff increases on global trading partners and is pursuing major tax cuts aimed at benefiting American workers.
Earlier this week, House Republicans pushed through a bill that extends key provisions of Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, delivering multitrillion-dollar tax breaks. The legislation, dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill” by Trump, was narrowly approved in a 215–214 vote early Thursday morning (May 22) following a late-night debate. Democrats unanimously opposed the measure.
The bill includes a range of tax cuts, such as eliminating taxes on tips for workers in the service and beauty industries and freezing taxes on overtime pay. It also reallocates federal funds to bolster military spending and enhance border security.
Ocasio-Cortez warned that the bill prioritizes the wealthy and defense contractors at the expense of working-class Americans, stating that the real impact will only become clear when “the country wakes up to what’s been taken from them.”
The bill also paves the way for Trump’s vision of a ‘Golden Dome’, a ballistic and missile defense system (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The proposal also includes tax deductions of up to $10,000 in interest on auto loans for vehicles manufactured in the U.S., along with a $200 tax on gun silencers. However, these benefits are designed as temporary measures—set to expire in 2028, with the auto loan interest deduction extending through 2029.
The bill further proposes a $500 increase to the child tax credit, raising it to $2,500 annually through 2028. To offset the resulting loss in tax revenue, it introduces controversial changes to Medicaid and SNAP food stamp programs. These include more frequent eligibility checks, reduced funding for undocumented immigrants, and a ban on using benefits for gender transition services for both children and adults.
The House announced the vote on Thursday (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The Congressional Budget Office estimated 8.6 million fewer people would have healthcare coverage as a result while the changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other services pose a saving of one trillion dollars.
What has Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said about the Big Beautiful Bill and why is she concerned?
However, not everyone is keen on the plan, with New York Democrat AOC taking the chance to criticize the move in an explosive statement on the House floor on Wednesday night.
She said the so-called ‘big beautiful bill’ will affect the healthcare of 13.7 million Americans.
Ocasio-Cortez said: “Republicans are going to try to tell you every distraction in the book from that essential number,” claiming the legislation had been compiled ‘in a matter of hours on the back of a napkin’.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has issued a warning about the bill (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“For my Republican colleagues who are sure what is in and not in this bill, in this process that has been this rushed, when you wake up this morning, you will realize that you voted to defund Planned Parenthood and to take away health care from 13.7 million Americans,” she continued.
“When this country wakes up in the morning, there will be consequences to pay for this.”
The CBO also said the lowest-income households in the country would see their resources decrease while higher earners would see a boost.
What other Democrats say about Trump’s tax bill
“This is one ugly bill,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York added, as the opposition continue to call it a ‘big, bad bill’ or a ‘big, broken promise’.
Trump has promised to slash taxes on tips for service workers (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The comments come as scores of Republicans dropped their opposition to save the 1,000-page-plus Bill that is considered central to the Republican and Trump agenda.
The administration warned that ‘failure to pass [it] would be the ultimately betrayal’.
They believe the package will be ‘rocket fuel’ for the rocky US economy.
Speaker Mike Johnson said just before the vote: “To put it simply, this bill gets Americans back to winning again.”
Representative Erin Houchin also said it would ‘unlock the ‘Golden Age’ of America,’ as Trump said in his inauguration speech.
What stage is the Big Beautiful Bill up to?
House Republicans stayed up all night to debate the bill, with last-minute concessions added before it slithered through by just one vote.
Now, it will go to the Senate for consideration.
A bill must pass through both the House and Senate in order to for the President to sign it into law.
