LAS VEGAS — House Republicans on the Ways & Means Committee are holding a hearing in Las Vegas today to promote the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Instead of celebration, they are being met with frustration from community members. Battle Born Progress secured a mobile billboard that will circulate the area where the hearing is taking place. The billboard features clips of headlines highlighting the real impacts of the OBBBA, which include cuts to Medicaid, increased energy costs for households, and increased healthcare costs for all Nevadans.
Shelbie Swartz, Executive Director of Battle Born Progress, issued the following statement:
“For the Republican members of the Ways & Means Committee to come for a ‘victory lap’ for the OBBBA in Nevada, where the bill will kick more than 110,000 Nevadans off of their health insurance, over 80,000 will see their monthly food assistance benefits slashed, and thousands of jobs will be at risk, is cruel and craven. The OBBBA is nothing more than a reverse Robin Hood — the biggest upward transfer of wealth in forty years. It slashes critical programs that keep our communities functioning, hurts working families, and raises healthcare costs across the board. Even more appalling is our Governor’s silence in the face of these cruel cuts. Nevadans deserve leaders who will stand up, speak out, and fight for a future where everyone has a fair shot, not just the wealthy. We applaud Congressman Horsford for his opposition to the OBBBA and for being a champion for working families in the face of a federal government and a Governor who refuse to fight for working people.”
Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer of the Culinary Union, issued the following statement:
“The Culinary Union supports tax relief for working-class tip earners. In the Reconciliation bill that Congress just passed, unfortunately, tax relief for workers is temporary, while windfall tax cuts for billionaires and the rich are permanent. Millions of Americans will also lose access to health care and essential economic programs. Nevada Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, along with Congressman Steven Horsford, proposed amendments to expand and make the tip tax credits permanent, but the Republicans refused to hear those amendments. Culinary Union will closely monitor as the U.S. Treasury develops regulations for the new tax policy to make sure it benefits working-class taxpayers as promised. The price of groceries, gas, and housing keeps going up, and working families are paying sky-high car and home insurance premiums, while campaign promises of relief have been forgotten. Instead, this administration has focused on arresting dishwashers and gardeners, and attacking our strongest international allies and customers with wild tariffs, threats, and claims of annexation. As a result, visitation to Las Vegas is down. Companies are scrambling for workers and stability, and many are concerned that layoffs and a Trump recession may be around the corner. We’ve all worked so hard to rebuild this economy after COVID – we cannot afford to let reckless policies destroy it. Working families deserve better.”
André Wade, State Director of Silver State Equality, issued the following statement:
“There are many little-known, or little-talked-about, aspects of OBBBA that can directly impact Nevadans with disastrous results. For starters, the bill allocates $75 billion for immigration enforcement, with $45 billion earmarked for ICE, making its budget larger than that of most militaries worldwide. And as Republicans tout so-called tax breaks for the working class, they neglect to mention that those incentives are inequitable and disappear in a few years, while tax cuts for the wealthiest are now permanent. Not being taxed on tips is great, but someone who does not earn a living on tips won’t get the same tax benefit. The bill also prohibits federal funding for Planned Parenthood, imperiling millions of LGBTQ+ people who receive their healthcare from the organization. The bill cuts Medicaid, which covers 40 percent of the healthcare needs of those living with AIDS/HIV, and SNAP food assistance is reduced while imposing harsh work mandates. These harmful provisions, along with others, add to the $3 trillion already allocated to the national debt. The bill also adds stricter eligibility requirements for Affordable Care Act coverage. Clearly, this bill has always been about one thing: funneling more wealth to the ultra-rich while hard-working Americans – including LGBTQ+ people – suffer.”
Tiffany Hsieh, Western States Hub Director, Climate Power, issued the following statement:
“While House Republicans pat themselves on the back, Nevadans are watching their jobs, paychecks, and energy bills get put on the chopping block. The so-called ‘victory lap’ for the OBBBA is a slap in the face to the workers and families powering Nevada’s clean energy economy. We’re proud to stand with the community leaders and Members of Congress who are fighting back and making sure Nevadans are heard.”
Taylor Patterson, Executive Director of Native Voters Alliance Nevada, issued the following statement:
“The OBBBA’s negative impact on Indian Country cannot be overstated. Within this legislation are tactics to weaponize funding and bureaucracy to further a hate-filled agenda, something Tribal communities know all too well. MAGA Republicans and Trump managed to prey upon healthcare, access to higher education, and Tribal infrastructure development all in one bill. Our people will experience the fallout of the OBBBA when their Tribal, IHS, or Urban Indian health centers restrict the healthcare services provided. Native youth will feel the effects of this bill when their financial assistance for higher education falls short. Relatives living on lands without electricity or running water will continue to fight for their basic needs to be met. Make no mistake—the OBBBA is a monumental step backwards for Tribal communities.”
Angelyn Tabalba, Clean Energy Plan consultant, Nevada Conservation League, issued the following statement:
“By canceling clean energy tax credits for solar, home weatherization, and electric vehicles, Republicans are cutting off support for families already struggling with rising power bills. These upgrades lower costs and save lives, especially in a state like Nevada, where hundreds died from extreme heat just last year. This big, brutal budget bill hits us hard on the issues we discuss around the kitchen table — where families are figuring out how to afford the next power bill, whether they can fix the AC before the next heatwave, and how to cover their groceries. It means fewer lifelines for working families, more pollution in our air and water supply, and an extra $300 a year on our energy bills. Let’s be clear: the Republican budget bill was never about fiscal responsibility. It was about forcing working families to shoulder the burden to give tax breaks to billionaire donors who bought their access to Trump.”
Jarrett Clarke, spokesperson for For Our Future Nevada, issued the following statement:
“It’s outrageous that MAGA Republicans are taking a ‘victory lap’ in Nevada for sweeping legislation that guts clean energy investments and attacks the livelihoods of thousands of working Nevadans. Let’s be clear: this isn’t a win, it’s a direct assault on Nevada’s economy. This travesty puts clean energy jobs on the chopping block, especially in rural areas and communities of color where these jobs have brought real opportunity. It slashes federal support for solar and battery projects, drives up energy bills, and strips communities of the tools they need to cope with extreme weather. Trump and his MAGA Republicans have betrayed Nevada’s working families, and no amount of spin or staged press conferences can hide the damage they’re doing.”
Denise Lopez, Reproductive Freedom for All Director of Nevada Campaigns:
“This budget will devastate hardworking families across Nevada by gutting Medicaid and defunding Planned Parenthood. It is unconscionable that Republicans are taking a victory lap in Nevada to tout their agenda of taking away people’s access to care. Reproductive Freedom for All Nevada will keep fighting back as Republican anti-abortion extremists continue to lie about this deadly bill that puts the health and well-being of families across the country at risk.”
Leo Murrieta, Executive Director with Make the Road Action Nevada, shared the following statement:
“Let’s call a spade a spade here, Republicans in Congress like Mark Amodei are cowardly puppets to a regime that is set on destroying Nevadans’ way of life. Children and seniors are going to go hungry across our state because they’re losing their SNAP benefits. Hard-working Nevadans are going to lose access to life-saving medical care because they’ll soon be kicked off Medicaid. All of this is done to line the pockets of the wealthiest among us, which is shameful.
“Astonishingly, these monsters would dare show their faces in our state, and it shows how remarkably out of touch they are with the lives of everyday working people. Nevada may be home to multi-billion-dollar industries, but the average person is struggling to pay their rent, keep up with utility bills, and afford basic necessities like food and healthcare.
“The puppets disguising themselves as members of Congress are coming to town to celebrate, but I’m confident that Nevadans won’t forget who ripped food out of their kids’ mouths and who was responsible for their elderly parents’ declining health when the midterm elections come around. Republicans have sold their soul to a ghoul parading as President and their billionaire oligarchs, but don’t expect Nevadans to pat you on the back for it.”
Laura Martin, Executive Director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada(PLAN) Action Fund, shared the following statement:
“This budget will prove to be one of the most devastating pieces of legislation for low-income and working-class families in Nevada and across the country. While tax cuts for billionaires and a bloated budget for immigration enforcement were deemed affordable enough by the Trump Administration and Congressional leadership, crucial life-saving and sustaining programs are being gutted, and clean energy efforts are being derailed. Nevadans are at the frontline of the climate crisis and a housing crisis that is leaving our families on the street. Our community needed support, not tax savings for billionaires. Hundreds of thousands of Nevadans are at risk of losing Medicaid, and our families are being separated and disappeared. A victory lap is disrespectful.”
ABOUT CONGRESSMAN STEVEN HORSFORD: Congressman Horsford is a member of the Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. Congress. He also serves in leadership as the Chair Emeritus of the Congressional Black Caucus, Co-Chair of the Labor Caucus and Vice Chair of the Equal Rights Amendment Caucus. Congressman Horsford has been a champion for Nevada’s working families since his days leading the Culinary Training Academy.
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About Battle Born Progress: Battle Born Progress, through strategic communication efforts, empowers, engages and mobilizes Nevada voters to build a state where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed. We support, engage, and mobilize the progressive community through bold leadership, strategic communications, accountability, and education. We are on the cutting edge of new media and are the go-to source for progressive issues and advocacy for traditional media. Learn more at https://battlebornprogress.