By: Lori Kersey for West Virginia Watch
www.westvirginiawatch.com
West Virginia Republican Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice cast their votes in support of their party’s massive policy bill.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” narrowly passed 51 to 50 in the Senate Tuesday after an all-night session voting on amendments. Vice President JD Vance cast the legislation’s tie-breaking vote.
At nearly 1,000 pages, the bill extends and expands a 2017 tax law to keep individual income tax rates at the same level, according to reporting by States Newsroom. It also makes permanent some tax breaks on business investments and research and development costs.
To do so, the bill slashes funding to the Medicaid program and shifts significant costs of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to the states for the first time.
In a statement Tuesday, Capito celebrated the passage, saying the legislation includes “significant wins” for the state.
“The Republican Reconciliation bill is a clear reflection of our priorities: securing our borders, rebuilding our military, preventing the largest tax increase in U.S. history, and unleashing American energy,” Capito said. “I was proud to vote in favor of this commonsense legislation that not only delivers on the promises we’ve made to the American people, but will put West Virginia and our entire nation on a path to greater economic growth, national security, energy independence and opportunity.”
Justice said in a statement the bill provides lasting tax relief and establishes common sense reform to social programs.
“Throughout this process, I worked closely with both President Trump and my Senate colleagues to not only safeguard West Virginia’s interests, but bring prosperity to the state and provide opportunity to the working men and women of this country. West Virginia elected me to be their voice in Washington and deliver lasting positive results just as I did while governor – I am confident this bill is a strong step in the right direction and I will continue my work with President Trump to make life better for West Virginians.”
According to health care advocacy organization “Protect our Care,” the bill as it passed Tuesday would cut $1 trillion from Medicaid and take health care from more than 17 million Americans. It would increase health insurance premiums for more than 20 million people by eliminating tax credits that made health coverage affordable.
The bill would raise the nation’s debt limit by $5 trillion.
The legislation has been met with criticism and alarm by some in West Virginia, where more than 500,000 residents rely on Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program for their health coverage and one in six residents receives SNAP benefits.
Six protestors were arrested for trespassing last week while attempting a sit-in in opposition to the bill at Capito’s Charleston office.
Health care advocacy organization West Virginians for Affordable Health Care said in a statement Tuesday Capito and Justice “turned their back” on West Virginians, by supporting the bill.
“Both Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice said they went to Congress to help West Virginians; however, they both voted Monday on a bill that will make life more expensive, unmanageable and vulnerable for all but the wealthiest of us,” Executive Director Ellen Allen said. “Not only did they lay the groundwork to dismantle health care for hundreds of thousands of West Virginians, their vote will saddle and hamstring our sons, daughters and grandchildren with backbreaking debt that will make it all but impossible for us to reclaim these losses. This will have negative consequences for generations to come. “
Lynette Maselli, state director of Protect our Care, said in a statement that Justice and Capito had the power to stop the bill.
“Instead, they put billionaires over West Virginians and voted to kick seniors out of nursing homes, rip health care away from disabled children, close rural hospitals and strip 17 million Americans of their health care all so they and Donald Trump can give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations,” she said.
The state Democratic Party suggested that Capito supported the bill in exchange for her son, former state Del. Moore Capito, being nominated to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District West Virginia. Capito announced the political appointment on the social media platform X.
“One has to wonder why Sen. Capito would be such an enthusiastic cheerleader for a bill that is so devastating to West Virginia and its citizens,” Del. Mike Pushkin, chair of the Democratic Party, said in a statement. “One logical explanation is that she’s holding out for a deal… her vote in exchange for her son’s political advancement. If so, that’s not public service – that’s corruption.”
Pushkin said by supporting the bill, Capito and Justice failed to stand up for West Virginia residents.
“This budget won’t make life better for West Virginians, it will rob them of their health insurance, take food off the table and kill good-paying jobs – all to line the pockets of the GOP’s billionaire donors,” he said. “This budget is nothing short of an attack on working families across West Virginia. Democrats in West Virginia are mobilizing to hold Republicans accountable everywhere because the stakes have never been higher.”
The legislation now goes back to the House of Representatives to consider the changes the Senate made to the bill. Trump has said he wants the legislation on his desk by the July Fourth holiday Friday.
West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.
