California leaders react to Trump’s spending bill that cuts health care, food assistance for millions

The House of Representatives have passed a reconciliation bill, officially called "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (H.R. 1), which is expected to be signed by President Donald Trump tomorrow. 

California leaders have reacted to the passage of the Trump administration’s spending bill, which largely cuts public services and increases funding for immigration enforcement. 

Governor Gavin Newsom called it the “big, beautiful betrayal.” 

“This bill is a tragedy for the American people, and a complete moral failure. The President and his MAGA enablers are ripping care from cancer patients, meals from children and money from working families — just to give tax breaks to the ultra-rich,” Newsom said. “With this measure, Donald J. Trump's legacy is now forever cemented: he has created a more unequal, more indebted and more dangerous America. Shame on him.”

“Today’s vote confirms what we’ve known about House Republicans. They're willing to trade away healthcare, nutrition assistance for children and daycare for millions of their constituents who rely on them, all to give billionaires yet another tax break,” U.S. Representative Laura Friedman (CA-30) said in a statement. “That includes Republicans from California who voted to take away services they claim to support from the very communities they were elected to represent. It’s a betrayal that will hit those most in need the hardest.”

Rep. Robert Garcia called it “Trump’s one big, ugly bill” and said in a statement, “This bill is the biggest rip off in American history. It kicks 17 million people off their health care and cuts food assistance for millions of veterans, seniors and kids, all to give billionaires like Elon Musk another tax break.  It’s immoral and completely out of step with what the American people elected us to do.”

“Republicans are driving up costs, putting lives at risk and making it harder for families to get by in Trump’s expensive economy,” Garcia continued. “While Oversight Democrats were able to block some of the worst provisions that would have gutted critical government services, this bill is still a cruel disaster, taking from hardworking Americans to benefit the ultra-wealthy.”

Friedman said Republicans started debate on this bill at 3:30 in the morning “because they know this immoral bill can’t withstand the light of day.”

According to Governor Newsom, the bill will put 686,000 California jobs at risk through the elimination of the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits. North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) says that if enacted, “this stands to be the biggest job-killing bill in the history of this country.”