FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@edtrust.org 

A Budget for Billionaires, Not Families — The Senate Must Say No
Statement from Denise Forte, president and CEO of EdTrust, on House passage of “Big Beautiful Bill Act” 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a narrow, pre-dawn vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping budget reconciliation package — President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act — that promises deep tax breaks for the wealthy while gutting the essential programs that working families rely on. Now, the Senate has the opportunity — and the obligation — to do what the House did not: reject this dangerous legislation and stand up for everyday Americans.

This bill is not a serious plan for fiscal responsibility. It’s a Trojan horse for a wholesale dismantling of the infrastructure that keeps the American Dream alive. From massive cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and Pell Grants, to a national private school voucher scheme that would siphon billions of dollars from public education, this bill abandons working people and communities in need in favor of giveaways to billionaires and corporate interests.

What’s being sold as “efficiency” is, in reality, a calculated attack on opportunity, equity, and economic stability. This bill would leave millions of Americans without healthcare, push students out of college, deny meals for children and families, and erode the foundation of public education. More than 1 in 3 children depend on Medicaid for healthcare; 40% of America’s children rely on SNAP; and 1 in 4 college students already face food insecurity. This bill doesn’t meet the moment — it manufactures crisis.

And while working families are asked to sacrifice, the wealthy and well-connected are poised to benefit. This isn’t good governance — it’s the Great American Heist.

The Senate now holds the line between devastation and dignity. Senators must have the courage to reject this legislation, protect the public programs that make opportunity possible, and invest in the future of our nation. The House may have caved to extreme pressure, but the Senate can still choose people over politics, families over fortune, and equity over exploitation.

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About EdTrust

EdTrust is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the American education system. Through our research and advocacy, EdTrust improves equity in education from preschool through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to education equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where students will thrive.