Kansas lawmakers, organizations react to 'Big Beautiful Bill' passing the U.S. House

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Major lawmakers in Kansas are weighing in after Congress passed a big spending bill on to President Donald Trump's desk for final approval Thursday.

Kansas lawmakers and other organizations are expressing anger or support after the U.S. House passed the Trump-backed spending bill on July 3 with a 218-214 vote. The U.S. Senate previously passed the bill in a tight 50-50 vote on July 1 with Vice President JD Vance making the tie-breaking decision.

H.R.1. or the "Big Beautiful Bill Act" is on its way to Trump's desk where he is expected to sign off on the massive government spending bill. Various groups and political figures have raised concerns on how the bill will impact federal programs related to Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“Simply put, President Trump’s extreme budget hurts everyone who isn’t already a billionaire,” said U.S. Representative for Kansas' 3rd Congressional District Sharice Davids in a press release. “It hands out tax giveaways to the ultra-wealthy while gutting Medicaid, raising grocery prices, and putting rural hospitals and reproductive health care at risk — all while adding trillions to the national debt. I was raised by a single mom in the Army, so I know what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck. This proposal would only make it harder for families like the one I grew up in. Kansans deserve responsible leadership, not reckless cuts and partisan gimmicks — that’s why I’m focused on a commonsense, bipartisan path forward that actually lowers costs, supports small businesses, and grows our economy responsibly.”

Kansas' senators and representatives in Washington, D.C. voted along party lines for the spending bill. Republican Senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran voted in favor of the bill alongside the three Republican representatives for Kansas in the U.S. House. Davids was the sole 'no' vote from Kansas on the bill.

Republican congressman such as Rep. Ron Estes for District 4 and Rep. Derek Schmidt for District 1 applauded the bill in statements on July 3. They said the bill will help save the nation money, increase border security and bring tax relief.

"America is more than $36 trillion in debt and sinking further each year because federal spending keeps growing faster than revenues, which is why we are bending the curve of federal spending growth downward by $1.5 trillion over the next decade," Schmidt said in a press release. "By themselves, these savings are not enough to put America’s finances in order, but they’re a long overdue start and represent the first federal spending reduction in a generation. In the coming weeks, I’ll continue working to protect taxpayers and lower spending by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse throughout our government."

Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons also weighed in on the Big Beautiful Bill. He said the bill will provide beneficial border security to the nation with an increase in support for ICE agents.

“I speak on behalf of the entire agency when I say that ICE is grateful to President Trump for putting in the hard work necessary to get the Big Beautiful Bill across the finish line - but the real win is for the American people. The unprecedented funding for ICE will enable my hard-working officers and agents to continue making America safe again by identifying, arresting and removing criminal aliens from our communities. I’m thrilled to work with Secretary Noem, Congress and the president to protect our families, friends and neighbors.”

Health-related organizations offered their own thoughts on the bill shortly after it passed the U.S. House. They explained the negative impact they believe the bill will have on Kansans who are struggling with health problems and rural hospitals.

“The sweeping changes made in this bill will be devastating for Kansas families, making it harder for them to access health care and put food on their tables," said David Jordan, president and CEO of the United Methodist Ministry Fund. "And, the billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid funding will make it harder for struggling hospitals in Kansas to maintain costly and critical services, such as maternity care, or even keep their doors open at all. We are disheartened this bill was passed, as it’s bad for Kansas families, hospitals and communities.”

"We are deeply disappointed with the cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act in legislation known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that passed Congress today," said Eduardo Conrado, president of Ascension in a press release. "This bill falls short of supporting individuals and families who are poor, vulnerable, or too often left out of important decisions in Washington, causing nearly 12 million to lose their health coverage. While we do not expect immediate operational changes, these cuts risk destabilizing the health care system, especially in rural and underserved areas."

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