Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) delivered a dramatic rebuke of his own party's latest spending bill, likening it to fueling the Titanic on a collision course with fiscal disaster before casting a "no" vote that broke with GOP leadership.
The House GOP's tax and spending proposal, branded by allies as President Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill," promised sweeping tax cuts and deregulation as a centerpiece of the president's second-term economic agenda. But critics quickly pointed to deep cuts to healthcare and nutrition programs, and unfunded tax breaks that would spike the national debt, Mediaite reported.
During a heated debate that stretched past midnight on Thursday, Massie rose to deliver what he called a "dose of reality," warning that the bill would blow a hole in the federal deficit and pass the burden to future generations.
Citing recent credit downgrades and interest rate spikes, Massie said the country could be on the hook for $16,000 in interest payments per household if the bill's projections played out. Despite GOP pressure, he joined Democrats in opposing the measure, calling its math "fantasy" and criticizing colleagues for rushing it through in the dead of night.
"We are not rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, we're putting coal in the boiler and setting a course for the iceberg. If something is beautiful, you don't do it after midnight. I oppose this bill," Massie said.
Massie: We are not rearranging deck chairs on the titanic, we’re putting coal in the boiler and setting a course for the iceberg. If something is beautiful, you don't do it after midnight. I oppose this bill pic.twitter.com/tgZhOBziNy
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 22, 2025
The bill ultimately passed the House by a single vote, with Massie and one other Republican dissenting. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation next week, where moderate Democrats and deficit hawks on both sides have expressed skepticism about the long-term costs.
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