“The President may call it the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ ——- but there’s nothing beautiful about it.  There is certainly nothing pretty about denying food to hungry children, preventing Maine people from seeing their doctor, or preventing a doctor from beng paid.  This ugly, puretly partisan bill, rushed to meet the President’s artifical deadline, will have devastating consequences for Maine people, our hospitals, our rural communties, our economy, our energy costs and our balanced state budget.  As I have previoiusly warned, like many other states, the State of Maine simply cannot absorb the substantial shift in costs that this bill will place on the backs of our chldren, families, services and veterans to finance a tax cut for the very wealthy.  In the coming weeks, my Admiistration will review the final language of this bill to determine the full scope of the damage that it will cause to our state, including its impact to our other – wise balanced state budget.”

President Trump is expected to sign the Federal budget bill into law on Friday, July 4th at 5:00 pm.  The final vote was 214 – 218.  Two Republicans voted against the bill.