Kentucky, Indiana lawmakers and officials react to passing of Trump's budget bill

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- House Republicans on Thursday gave final approval to President Donald Trump's budget bill in a tight 218-214, with two Republicans joining all Democrats opposed.

Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie was one of the two Republicans voting against the 800-plus page “Big Beautiful Bill,” along with Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.

“Well, it looks like the big bill is going to pass but it wasn’t beautiful enough for me to vote for it,” Massie told reporters as he left the Capitol on Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

The Kentucky Republican has been a fierce critic of the bill from the start, complaining it doesn’t rein in the budget deficit. Trump and his allies are mobilizing to challenge him in next year’s primary.

Thursday's vote came on the heels of the Senate narrowly passing the bill Tuesday, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. 

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who opposes raising the debt limit, was among three Republican senators voting against the bill. 

"Throughout the Vote-a-rama, I was working all night to stop Congress from adding to our debt," Paul said, in part, in a post on X Tuesday. "I met with @VP (JD Vance) and I reiterated my offer to vote for the bill—if it included a 90% reduction in the debt ceiling. No earmarks. No handouts. Just real fiscal reform."

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell was among those voting in favor of the bill.

"We're bolstering border security, investing in programs that assist our farmers, raising take-home pay for working Kentuckians, and preventing the largest tax hike in American history," McConnell said in a statement, in part. 

Louisville Rep. Morgan McGarvey, a Democrat, joined the rest of the Democratic representatives in voting against the bill.

"This Republican budget is a slap in the face to Kentucky and all of rural America," McGarvey said, in part, in a post on X.

"It will kick millions of Americans off their health insurance, take food away from Kentucky families, kids, and seniors, and add trillions to the national debt," McGarvey's statement continued. "All so that Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos pay even less in taxes. It is cruel and indefensible. I don't want to hear any Republican who voted for this say they care about rural America or our national debt ever again."

Kentucky representatives Andy Barr, James Comer, Brett Guthrie and Harold "Hal" Rogers were among the votes in favor of the bill in the House. McGarvey and Massie voted against it.

In a statement, Barr said he was "honored to support and help get President Trump's BBB across the line," calling it "the latest and greatest chapter of the Trump economic comeback."

Comer, chairman on the House GOP Oversight Committee, has been vocal in his support of the "Big Beautiful Bill Act," saying the House "must deliver on President Trump's America First vision."

Guthrie called Thursday "a great day for America."

"Our bill will lead to continued growth and prosperity in our great country," he said in a post on X. 

The House Energy and Commerce Committee, of which Guthrie is the chairman, shared a statement from him on X that said, in part, the passage of the bill "is a victory for the millions of American families who will receive a historic tax cut."

“The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a victory for the millions of American families who will receive a historic tax cut,” Guthrie's statement continued. “As part of this legislation the Committee on Energy and Commerce worked to secure major victories targeting waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending. The bill strengthens Medicaid for those who need it most, ensures American energy dominance, and supports the rapid innovation of American industry. Thank you to President Trump and all our Committee members who worked tirelessly on this legislation.”

In a statement on his website, Rogers said, in part, the bill "delivers on our promise to provide historic tax relief for the American people, lowers interest rates, reduces the deficit by $2.8 trillion over 10 years, protects vital programs like Medicaid and SNAP benefits, makes our nation more secure, boosts our military defense, and puts America first for job creation and energy production."

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, has been vocal in his opposition to the spending bill, calling its passage a betrayal.

"Jobs will be lost, hospitals will close, rural communities will suffer, living costs will go up and — worst of all — people will die from being thrown off their health coverage," Beshear said in a post on X Thursday. "This vote put politics over people, and our country deserves better."

In another post on X, Beshear called Thursday "a sad day for our country and commonwealth."

"This bill risks 200,000 Kentuckians' lives, the jobs of 20,000 health care workers, 35 rural hospitals and our economy," he said. "Kentucky deserves better. I'm going to keep fighting for our people."

The Kentucky Hospital Association issued a letter signed by its members Wednesday morning following the Senate's passage of the bill. 

"We are united in our concern over the unprecedented cuts to the Medicaid program passed by the United States Senate," the letter said. "One third of our citizens rely on the Medicaid program — it covers 50% of Kentucky's children, as well as seniors and working families."

In the Hoosier state, Republican senators Jim Banks and Todd Young voted in favor of the bill.

"I supported the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to give American middle class families the largest tax cut in history, invest in our border security, strengthen our military, and advance President Donald Trump's agenda," Young said in a post on X.

"Tax cuts that put more money in the pockets of working families, funding to finish the border wall, and investments to strengthen our military—all tied to the largest spending reduction in history," Banks said in a post on X. "I’ll never stop fighting for the hardworking families of Indiana."

Every Republican representative from Indiana, James Baird, Erin Houchin, Mark Messmer, Jefferson Shreve, Victoria Spartz, Marlin Stutzman and Rudy Yakym, voted in favor of the bill. 

Democratic representatives André Carson and Frank Mrvan voted against in.

In a video posted on X, Houchin called the passage of the bill a "huge win for the American people."

"Today, House Republicans kept our promise to the American people. The One Big Beautiful Bill is the boldest, most conservative legislation we’ve passed in a generation—and I was proud to help lead the charge," Houchin said in a statement, in part. "This bill makes the Trump tax cuts permanent, ends taxes on tips and overtime, slashes wasteful spending, secures our border, unleashes American energy, and restores accountability across the federal government. For families in Southern Indiana, it means more money in their pockets, fewer burdens from Washington, and greater opportunity."

Messmer said in a post and video on X said the bill "gives Hoosiers vital tax savings, job opportunities and financial security." 

“The One Big Beautiful Bill is a legislative feat, and I am very impressed with the artful way President Trump successfully shepherded this bill through the House of Representatives and the United States Senate,” Messmer said in a statement. “This bill will stimulate the Hoosier economy, providing our IN-08 community with new tax savings, fresh job opportunities, and better financial security. I am proud to play a part in delivering the Trump agenda and am pleased to participate in the long overdue process of finally eliminating colossal amounts of waste, fraud, and abuse in our federal programs.”

In a statement on X, Carson said "After over 24 hours of votes, the American people lost and billionaires won."

"House Republicans voted to give more tax breaks to billionaires while slashing Medicaid, Medicare, and food stamps for regular people," his statement continued. "To all who voted for this cruel bill: you are hurting your own constituents. We won't forget."

Mrvan also shared a statement in a series of posts on X that said, in part, "This so-called 'One Big Beautiful Bill' may seen beautiful to the boardrooms of major corporations and to the most wealthy billionaires, but to the teacher in East Chicago, the nurse in Gary, the steelworker in Portage, or the farmer in LaPorte County, it will create uncertainty and actually increase the cost of living."

Mrvan said he opposed the bill because he "cannot in good conscience leave people behind."

"The Republican Majority made a decision to prioritize their elite donors and corporations, and now our seniors, veterans, hard-working Americans, women, children and those yet to be born will pay with increased costs and possibly their lives," he said.

The Indiana Democratic Party also weighed in. In a statement, the party said "Republicans should feel ashamed."

"This bill is the worst piece of legislation to come out of Congress in decades, and is likely the biggest transfer of wealth from poor to rich that the US has ever seen," the statement continued.

At its core, the package's priority is $4.5 trillion in tax breaks enacted in 2017 during Trump's first term that would expire if Congress failed to act, along with new ones. This includes allowing workers to deduct tips and overtime pay, and a $6,000 deduction for most older adults earning less than $75,000 a year.

There's also a hefty investment, some $350 billion, in national security and Trump's deportation agenda and to help develop the “Golden Dome” defensive system over the U.S.

To help offset the lost tax revenue, the package includes $1.2 trillion in cutbacks to the Medicaid health care and food stamps, largely by imposing new work requirements, including for some parents and older people, and a major rollback of green energy tax credits.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the package will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the decade and 11.8 million more people will go without health coverage.

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