House Democrat Reprimanded for Accusing Republican Bill Of ‘Sh*tting On the Middle Class’
Rep. Josh Riley (D-NY) had some harsh words for Republican colleagues on Wednesday — as the House began debate on President Donald Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful’ bill.
“Don’t tell me you give a shit about the middle class when all you are doing is shitting on the middle class,” Riley told GOP lawmakers.
The bill was sent back to the House Wednesday after Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaking vote in the Senate — narrowly pushing Trump’s signature legislation through that chamber on Tuesday afternoon. The 51-50 passage came after a 27 hour vote-a-rama in which three Republican senators joined with all 47 democrats to oppose the bill.
Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) were the lone GOP voices voting against, while Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), another projected no vote, opted to vote in favor of the bill after receiving benefits specifically for her home state.
The Senate version of this legislation therefore returned to the House, where debate began today over final passage. When Rep. Riley was called on to speak, he didn’t hold back – decrying the bill’s cuts to Medicaid and rural hospitals.
“Where I come from we make things,” began Riley. “Generations woke up before the crack of dawn, when off to the factory, punched a clock, worked their hands to the bone, came home and counted nickels to make sure they could keep a roof over their kids heads, keep food on the kids’ tables.”
He continued:
We’ve kept our heads down. We’ve kept our sleeves rolled up. We’ve kept our shoulder to the wheel. And all we’ve asked for is a fair shot and for this place to stop screwing us over. But you can’t help yourselves. You got us into terrible trade deals that made Wall Street rich and shipped all of our jobs overseas. You bail out the banks while neglecting rural America. You rigged the economy so the corporate PACs that are funding your campaigns make huge profits jacking up costs on folks who can’t afford it. And now this. This bill will kill good, blue collar manufacturing jobs that we need to rebuild the economy in this country. It closes rural hospitals. It defunds healthcare. All to give trillions of dollars in tax cuts to your cronies. Don’t tell me you give a shit about the middle class when all you are doing is shitting on the middle class.
Riley was then reprimanded by debate chair Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR), who reminded Riley to “avoid vulgar speak.”
“We do have families,” Womack added.
