To inform constituents about President Trump’s tax bill, now in the U.S. Senate, Representative Danny Davis (D-7th) is hosting a virtual town hall Sunday, June 1, from 3 to 5 p.m. Davis said the event is needed so people can unite in opposing the legislation, which he said will have a negative trickle-down effect on the community.
The House passed Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax bill Thursday, May 22, by a 215-214 vote. In the Senate, the bill will require a simple majority of 51 votes if all 100 senators are present.
Davis may get his wish that the Senate does something different than the House, as Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said they do not currently have the necessary votes to pass the bill in its current form.
In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, May 25, Johnson said, “We have enough to stop the process until the president gets serious about the spending reduction and reducing the deficit.” The Senate currently holds a 53–47 Republican-to-Democrat majority.
Johnson also said he is not alone in opposing the bill, warning that if passed as is, the proposal will cost the U.S. $3.8 trillion over the next decade. That figure comes from a report by the Joint Committee on Taxation, which compared the projected tax cuts with planned spending reductions.
According to a CBS report, both Wall Street economists and policy experts say that adding billions in debt to the U.S. balance sheet could ultimately squeeze federal spending, forcing higher interest payments. The ripple effect would make it more difficult to fund programs like Social Security—already under strain as baby boomers retire—or to invest in infrastructure and other initiatives that support economic growth, the report stated.
During the town hall, Davis will outline what the proposed cuts could mean for the safety nets relied on by poor and middle-class Americans, including hospitals and essential programs.
The cuts, Davis said, would be “devastating because when you take away the safety net money that comes from programs, that stifles the economy and prevents individuals from receiving the services they need.”
That is why, Davis said, holding the town hall is critical. “We have to keep raising the awareness and make sure people are united in opposition to the bill.”
He explained that safety nets include more than hospitals and health clinics. They also support those unable to meet basic needs—especially low- and moderate-income individuals and those with disabilities.
“There are people born with no hands. They didn’t do it. There are people born blind. They didn’t do it. Why would a country do that to these people?” Davis asked.
When reminded that Republicans included provisions in the Medicaid program to accelerate work requirements and offer states incentives not to expand coverage under the Affordable Care Act, Davis responded that it represents another effort to oppose a program vital to low-income individuals.
“Medicaid has been much of society’s response to these issues in a negative way as opposed to a positive way and using the guise of waste, fraud and inefficiency to do so,” said Davis.
“We know that the real reason is to provide a tax cut or tax break for the ultra-rich,” he added, referring to a projected $4.7 trillion tax break for the wealthiest Americans, many of whom supported Trump’s campaign.
House members were subjected to demands for deeper cuts in Medicaid by hardliners, including Representatives Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), and Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.).
Additionally, NBC News reported that 20 House members—a mix of veteran Tea Party members, newly elected lawmakers, and long-serving opponents of party leadership—also pushed for more aggressive spending cuts.
Davis said the tax cuts will negatively affect all states. “If you take away the services, you take away the spending, the work, there is no pay and no circulation of money.
“It’s not just the hospitals that are hurting. It’s the guy at the grocery store hurting because the janitor at the hospital can’t work to buy groceries,” Davis explained. “If doctors can’t work, they can’t buy any gasoline. All of this stifles the economy, and it is just not good.”
To view Representative Davis’ virtual town hall on Sunday, call his office at (773) 533-7520 and ask for Tumia Romero, chief of staff, to obtain the Zoom link.