Catholic Bishops Trash Trump's Big Beautiful Bill Passing
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The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has spoken out against President Donald Trump's massive tax and spending package, saying it contains "unconscionable cuts to... programs that protect God's creation."
Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio issued the statement after the budget bill passed Congress and headed to the President's desk. The bill is set to lead to deep cuts in Medicaid and food stamps, and give $170 billion to Trump's immigration policies.
Catholics are not the only faith group to speak out against this bill, with leaders from other Christian denominations as well as Jewish leaders voicing their opposition.
The White House has been contacted for comment via email.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio conducts an Easter Sunday Mass at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, Sunday, April 12, 2020.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio conducts an Easter Sunday Mass at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, Sunday, April 12, 2020.
Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo
Why It Matters
The budget bill will cause $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, shutter rural hospitals, and give $45 billion towards the building of detention centers for immigrants.
The bill passed through Congress despite opposition from many Americans, with a number of surveys suggesting more than half of those polled were against it.
Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, has also called for compassionate treatment of immigrants and an end to global conflicts, as the Trump administration has pushed ahead with its hardline immigration policy.
What To Know
While the USCCB had backed elements of the bill "that promote the dignity of human life and support parental choice in education," it had urged lawmakers in a letter ahead of the vote "to make drastic changes to the provisions that will harm the poor and vulnerable."
Those changes were not made in either the Senate or House versions of the bill, prompting Archbishop Broglio to conclude: "The bill, as passed, will cause the greatest harm to those who are especially vulnerable in our society."
Vice President JD Vance, who speaks openly about his Catholic faith, cast the tie-breaking vote for the bill in the Senate.
He posted to X (formerly Twitter) about the bill: "Now we've delivered big tax cuts and the resources necessary to secure the border. Promises made, promises kept!"
In a letter sent to the Senate ahead of the vote, a coalition of Christian leaders warned that money put aside for mass deportations would "separate US families, harm US-citizen and immigrant children, and sow chaos in local communities."
Jewish leaders have also spoken out against the bill, with Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T'ruah, a human rights advocacy group, saying: "Today, we see the sins of Sodom being repeated in this bill, which is written from a place of arrogance, cruelty, and selfishness. We fear that, like Sodom, these sins will lead to our destruction."
Demonstrators protest prior to a news conference regarding the pending passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act at the Capitol, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Washington.
Demonstrators protest prior to a news conference regarding the pending passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act at the Capitol, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Washington.
Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP Photo
What People Are Saying
Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio said: "The final version of the bill includes unconscionable cuts to healthcare and food assistance, tax cuts that increase inequality, immigration provisions that harm families and children, and cuts to programs that protect God's creation."
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, in an open letter, wrote: "This disaster of a bill threatens all Americans. This is no Big Beautiful Bill but rather a Big Bad Betrayal, with devastating costs to human life, freedom, and dignity...Elected officials have betrayed their constituents. We condemn the Members of Congress who voted for this disastrous budget."
President Donald Trump on Truth Social: "The Republicans in the House of Representatives have just passed the "ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT." Our Party is UNITED like never before and, our Country is "HOT."...Together, we can do things that were not even imagined possible less than one year ago. We will keep working, and winning — CONGRATULATIONS AMERICA!"
What Happens Next
Trump is set to sign the bill at 4 p.m. ET on Friday.
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