In a display of palpable frustration, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY) expressed her dismay following the House of Representatives’ narrow passage of President Trump’s aptly named ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ on Thursday.
The legislation, which passed with a vote of 218-214 after a night filled with tense negotiations among GOP members, saw two Republican lawmakers—Massie and Fitzpatrick—breaking ranks to vote against it.
The so-called Big Beautiful Bill encompasses:
- Tax reductions, including the elimination of taxes on tips
- Reductions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and stricter work requirements
- Substantial funding for border security, with over $45 billion earmarked for the construction of the border wall, significantly boosting the budgets of ICE and Border Patrol
Ocasio-Cortez, visibly emotional, told reporters that this legislation marked “one of the saddest days in modern American history.”
“I think this is one of the saddest days in modern American history,” she lamented. “Seventeen million Americans are set to lose their Medicaid coverage. They will lose their ACA insurance. Small business owners will see their healthcare costs skyrocket, and there will be cuts to SNAP.”
“People are going to go hungry. People are going to get sick,” she added, her concern palpable as she painted a stark picture of the implications of the bill.
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JUST IN: Rep. AOC is on the verge of tears, can hardly come up with words after FULL passage of Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.
“I think this is one of the saddest days in modern American history.”
“People are gonna go hungry. People are gonna get sick.”
“17 million Americans… pic.twitter.com/bRe1LkMKQW
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 3, 2025