WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Ranking Member of the Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee, issued the following statement on H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed out of the House of Representatives, 218 to 214, on Thursday, July 3, 2025:
"When this bill first passed the House, I called it the most destructive legislation I had witnessed in my tenure. Now, it has returned, still awful, and even more cruel. This is a profound betrayal of the American people. My vote today reflects my unwavering opposition to a bill that prioritizes tax cuts for the ultra-rich over the fundamental needs of our children and families.
The staggering $900 billion in cuts to Medicaid are a direct assault on the health of our communities. Because of this legislation, 17 million Americans will lose health insurance. In the Fifth District, 210,395 people rely on Medicaid, known as HuskyHealth, in CT for care. This includes 91,038 children under 19 and 32,000 seniors over 65. These are not just numbers; these are our neighbors, our seniors, our children, facing the terrifying prospect of losing access to doctors, hospitals, and life-saving treatments. Republicans placed new, burdensome requirements in this bill designed to kick millions off Medicaid, and funding cuts will lead to hospital closures, defund vital women health services like Planned Parenthood, and force 1.4 million low-income seniors and people with serious illnesses to choose between housing and food, or paying for necessary medical care.
“The bill also has devastating impacts on access to food. This bill rips away nearly $200 billion from agriculture and nutrition programs, jeopardizing access to SNAP benefits for 42 million Americans nationwide. SNAP, a vital lifeline for millions of children, seniors, veterans, and working parents, faces devastating cuts. In Connecticut, at least 34,000 people could lose some or all food assistance. This bill forces states to either pay for benefits themselves or make impossible cuts, while adding further administrative barriers designed to make it harder for people to get assistance. The expanded SNAP paperwork requirements in this bill will put 5 million people at risk, including 800,000 children and over 500,000 seniors and adults with disabilities. Furthermore, it slashes $1 billion from Summer EBT, critical food assistance for low-income children during the months when school is not in session, leaving them vulnerable to hunger when they need support most.
"Under this bill, states would be forced to pay directly for benefits for the first time ever. If Connecticut were forced to cover just 10% of SNAP benefits, it would cost the state $89 million – the equivalent of 33 million meals. This is a deliberate choice.
“The assault continues with education, making college a distant dream for many. This legislation forces student loan borrowers into unaffordable repayment plans, increasing monthly payments for the average borrower by almost $200. It sacrifices the future of students who rely on Pell Grants, with 43,735 students in Connecticut potentially seeing their grants cut or eliminated entirely. Moreover, crucial resources could be taken away from struggling borrowers and pushes students into predatory private loan markets by ending Graduate PLUS loans and capping Parent PLUS loans. This is particularly devastating for students and families from underserved communities, who historically rely on these loans due to systemic financial disparities. Furthermore, by creating the first nationwide federal elementary and secondary school voucher program, it diverts funding from public schools that serve over 90 percent of students, while enabling private schools to discriminate against students and families, denying protections under vital civil rights and disability laws.
“This is not fiscal responsibility; it is a financial shell game. The Republican reconciliation bill makes the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in American history, all while adding an estimated $4 trillion to the national debt to give over $1 trillion in tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and the largest corporations. This is a staggering transfer of wealth from the lowest-income families to the highest, and it is fiscally irresponsible. The bill will also kill hundreds of thousands of jobs, including 6,500 manufacturing and energy jobs in Connecticut, and increase energy bills by $340 for families in our state.
“I vehemently condemn this bill and the unconscionable process that produced it. The House Republican Party has chosen to endanger the health and well-being of millions to advance a narrow, partisan agenda. We have a moral responsibility to ensure every child has access to nutritious food and quality education. I will never use my vote to hurt children, veterans, seniors, and American families.”
###