EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Republican budget bill — often called the “big, beautiful bill” by supporters of President Donald Trump — would cut health care, nutrition programs and explode the national debt, said U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas.
The bill, which has passed the U.S. House and is being discussed by the Senate, would also give “massive tax breaks” to the “millionaire and billionaire class,” Escobar said.
That was one of the messages that Escobar delivered during a town-hall meeting Saturday, June 7 at Horizon High School in Horizon City.
Escobar said that the town-hall meeting was an opportunity to listen to consituents, talk to them and answer their questions.
She said the Republican budget bill is the big topic of converstation and concern.
“It passed out of the House a couple of weeks ago. The Senate is working on it now,” said Escobar, who voted against the bill when it came up before the U.S. House in late May.
“It will result in cuts to health care benefits, cuts to nutrition programs. It will explode the national debt, all of this in order to give the millionaire and billionaire class massive tax breaks,” Escobar said.
“It is important for people to understand what is in the bill,” Escobar continued. “We still have an opportunity to stop it and kill it on the Senate side and come up with a bipartisan product that reflects our nation’s values.”
The Trump Administration’s plans to “pause” the Job Corps program, including a center here in El Paso, is “devastating news,” she added.
“The reason they gave for the pause in the program were financial issues that happened with the program during the pandemic,” Escobar said.
She added that she wasn’t sure why the Trump Administration was targeting the program.
A lawsuit has been filed against the “pause” and the move is likely to be found illegal by the courts, she added.
Michael Aboud, the chairman of the El Paso County Republican Party, called Escobar a “tax-and-spend Democrat.”
“I don’t understand why she would want El Pasoans or anyone to pay more taxes,” Aboud said. “Our taxes are already way too high. She is upset because President Trump is cutting waste and is going to reduce our taxes.
“I don’t see how you can be against that. I think it is nonsensical, unless you are greedy and just want to spend the people’s money,” he added.
Escobar has represented Texas’ 16th Congressional District since 2019. She announced in April that she will be seeking another two-year term.
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