Michigan congressional leaders discuss federal budget bill at Mackinac Policy Conference
By a razor-thin margin, the federal spending reconciliation bill passed by the U.S. House last week and now heads to the 365bet官方网站.
Dubbed the "big, beautiful bill," it includes sweeping legislation that extends and increases tax cuts, eliminates many environmental subsidies, and limits Medicaid coverage for low-income adults.
At the Mackinac Policy Conference, Democratic Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet says the late-night vote sent a clear message.
"I don't think there was a single person in the chamber who had read the bill when it came when it came to us for a vote, and there's a lot in it that is going to raise costs for most families in Michigan," said McDonald Rivet.
Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett disagreed, saying the vote moved at a pace that mirrored past bills in the legislature.
"It's not like one side is uniquely responsible for this […] and their members are taking their full allotment of time to debate each of the amendments and then motions along the way. It was an intentional attempt to delay the process," said Barrett.
Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell addressed her work with her Republican counterparts, highlighting the need to stay open to make progress.
"I'm going to stand up if you're going to hurt the people that I represent, if you're going to hurt my state, I'm not afraid to speak up. And if we can get something done, we will look for that common area, if we need to," said Dingell.
GOP U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga underlined that the bill brings back a key part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which he thinks benefits Michiganders at every level.
"Forty million families across the nation were going to see their per-child tax credit cut in half if we don't do this. So, we disagree on the path oftentimes, but there's a lot of commonality on the goals of trying to bring this back together," said Huizenga.
As the bill prepares for a vote in the Republican-controlled 365bet官方网站, representatives on both sides of the aisle reaffirmed their promise to continue advocating for Michiganders in Washington.
"It actually isn't red team versus blue team. The things that we are doing, the decisions we are making, are impacting everybody's lives," said McDonald Rivet.
