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Gov. Hochul urges US Senate to reject Trump's 'beautiful' bill
By
Joe Hong
Published Jun 6, 2025
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Andrea Renault/Star Max, GC Images
By
Joe Hong
Published Jun 6, 2025
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Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday morning published a letter urging U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune to mitigate the potentially “egregious harms” of the legislative package that has come to be known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
Hochul addressed both Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and argued the bill in its current form would widen socioeconomic disparities across the United States. Among other areas, Hochul highlighted New Yorkers’ access to health care, food and education as being threatened by the Republican-backed bill.
“I urge you to reject the House proposal and instead work with Leader Schumer on a bipartisan reconciliation package that delivers for working families, invests in the future, and reflects the real needs of the people we serve,” Hochul wrote.
Hochul has been criticizing the bill on social media and during public appearances over the past week.
According to the letter, New York would lose $13.5 billion in funding for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act marketplace, which could cause about 1.5 million people to lose health insurance. This loss of health care access would disproportionately threaten hospitals in rural and low-income neighborhoods, Hochul wrote.
The bill’s reduction in funding for SNAP benefits, she continues, would mean $2.1 billion in losses for New York residents who need help paying for food.
The letter also warns of cuts to clean energy and higher education as well as the bill’s deregulation of artificial intelligence and the increase of New Yorkers’ tax burdens.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” formally known as H.R. 1, passed the U.S. House of Representatives last month by one vote. The vote largely split along partisan lines, with two Republicans, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio, opposing.
While Republicans in Congress claim that the “average American family” would get a $1,300 tax cut under the bill, independent analyses suggest the bill would widen income disparities.
While the Trump administration touts the bill as “the largest tax cut in American history,” the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan federal agency that provides budgetary and economic analysis for Congress, found that that loss in revenue is offset by deep cuts to social services for low-income Americans. The Congressional Budget Office also found the wealthiest 10% of Americans would benefit from the bill, while the 10% poorest Americans would suffer financial losses.
Thune’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
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Joe Hong
Joe Hong is the investigative data reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. He previously covered K-12 education for several newsrooms across California. His reporting has led to local reforms in juvenile justice system as well as a state law requiring universal screening for dyslexia. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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