Booker, Kim Of NJ Vote Against Senate Budget Bill, Trump Cheers Its Passage

The “big, beautiful budget bill” that President Donald Trump is cheering for survived a nail-biting vote in the U.S. Senate this week. It did so without the support of New Jersey’s two senators: Cory Booker and Andy Kim.

On Tuesday, the Senate voted 51-50 on a spending plan that would extend Trump’s controversial 2017 tax reforms, while cutting billions of dollars from the federal budget to help balance the books. Meanwhile, the bill will add trillions to the national debt, ramp up military spending and provide more money for deportations, prisons and border security.

Three Republican senators joined every Democrat in voting against it. Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote in the bill’s favor.

The legislation now heads back to the U.S. House of Representatives for another vote, which may take place as soon as this week.

The House passed a previous version of the budget by a one-vote margin in May, with New Jersey’s nine Democratic House members voting against the spending plan, and the state’s three Republican House members voting for it. Read More: See How NJ Reps Voted On Trump's 'Big, Beautiful' Budget Bill

The latest version of the bill has seen harsh condemnation from its critics, who say that it will make severe cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP (food stamps) – while also giving huge tax breaks to some of the nation’s wealthiest people and corporations.

• See Related: Trump Tax Cuts: Were They A Win Or Loss For New Jersey?

Supporters – including Trump – have countered that the bill will also lower taxes for middle and working-class people through policies like “No Tax On Tips,” while beefing up America’s “energy dominance” and defense capabilities.

“Nobody wants to talk about growth, which will be the primary reason that the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ will be one of the most successful pieces of legislation ever passed,” Trump wrote in a social media post on Wednesday.

“Trillions of dollars are now being invested into the USA, more than ever before,” the president claimed. “Likewise, hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs are filling up the coffers of the Treasury.”

“Republicans, don’t let the radical left Democrats push you around,” Trump urged. “We’ve got all the cards, and we are going to use them.”

Article continues below

During the first Cabinet meeting of his new term, Trump said there are no plans to touch Medicaid, Social Security or Medicare benefits. It’s a claim that he has repeated “over and over again,” according to White House spokespeople.

That’s not true according to some experts, who argue that there is no possible way to pay for extending Trump’s tax cuts without also slashing Medicaid and other vital social services.

Booker and Kim both said the bill will slash upwards of $900 billion from Medicaid, despite what the president is promising.

“The only winners are the wealthiest few, and the biggest corporations,” Booker said, calling the bill a “moral obscenity.”

“Donald Trump promised to lower costs and help Americans make ends meet,” the senator said. “Instead, this bill has something to hurt almost everyone – and Americans who are already struggling will pay the harshest price.”

According to Booker, the bill will strip health insurance from nearly 17 million Americans and increase annual health care costs by as much as $900 for families, and leave hundreds of hospitals at risk of closure.

“Families will now also be paying more for energy, with electricity rates in New Jersey expected to rise 20 to 30 percent,” Booker said. “Over three million Americans will lose access to much-needed food aid when they need it to help make ends meet. And the national debt will climb nearly $4 trillion higher.”

• See Related: 4 Takeaways From Cory Booker’s Record-Setting ‘Filibuster’ Speech

Kim also shared some numbers that he described as “devastating.”

“While one in three children in New Jersey rely on Medicaid, Republicans in Congress support a budget that slashes $930 billion from the program,” the senator said. “Cuts to Medicaid would impact 300,000 people with a disability in New Jersey and 60 percent of nursing home residents who utilize Medicaid for their care. In the state, one in seven adults between the ages of 19 and 64 are covered by Medicaid.”

During the Senate’s marathon voting session this week, Kim offered an example of a local New Jersey resident who will suffer if the bill crosses the finish line:

“After a gun accident when he was 11, Tom is a total quadriplegic ... Medicaid helped him go to school and then college, and in his own words has given him dignity. When talking about this bill that we are debating here today, he said, ‘If I lose Medicaid, I feel like I’m getting shot in the head again. This time it’s not a bullet, it’s legislation. I want his words to echo through this chamber today for everyone to hear.’”

Democrats aren’t the only ones criticizing the bill. Elon Musk – who recently departed his position at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) amid a war of words with Trump – has been blasting the spending plan for not going far enough.

“Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame,” Musk recently wrote.

“And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,” he added.

Other corporate executives have rallied behind the bill, however.

After the Senate’s vote on Tuesday, the White House released a list of quotes from CEOs and representatives of several large trade groups, who are calling for the House to swiftly send the bill to President Trump’s desk.

“This historic legislation will help usher in a new era of energy dominance by unlocking opportunities for investment, opening lease sales and expanding access to oil and natural gas development,” American Petroleum Institute president and CEO Mike Sommers said.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.