Happy 4th of July, America.

On the eve of this venerated holiday, the House voted 218 to 214 to pass Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. Every House Democrat voted against it. All but two House Republicans, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Thomas Massi of Kentucky, voted for it. The Bill passed even more narrowly in the Senate. Vice President JD Vance had to break the 50-50 tie. Senate Republicans, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, voted No.

How big and beautiful is this bill? It’s big. It includes a $5 trillion increase in the national debt, which makes even fiscally conservative Republicans twitch.

It’s far from beautiful, unless you’re wealthy. Cuts to Medicaid will leave nearly 17 million Americans without health care. The poorest Americans, those receiving food or other assistance, are in for a world of hurt. Big money will go to Trump’s favorite cause, rounding up (non-white) immigrants and deporting or incarcerating them, due process be damned. Clean energy tax credits passed under Biden and decried by Trump are done. Federal aid cuts will put state budgets in chaos, especially in poor states. Ironically, rural Americans, a large part of Trump’s base, will suffer greatly while the wealthiest Americans will reap generous tax cuts.

Trump got his unpopular bill passed before his July 4th deadline. When the bill’s financial anvil squashes many of us, will we accept House Speaker Mike Johnson’s gaslighting words on July 3rd that this common sense bill will reduce the deficit, lower taxes, give us bigger paychecks, make gas and groceries affordable, and restore dignity to hard work?