BREAKING: Republicans CAUGHT pulling scheme ahead of budget vote

Senator Chris Murphy Sounds Alarm Over GOP’s “Big Beautiful Bill”: A $4 Trillion Gamble on the Backs of Working Americans

As Senate Republicans push forward with the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” Senator Chris Murphy is sounding the alarm — and he’s not mincing words.

In a wide-ranging, candid interview, Murphy dismantled the “gimmick” underpinning the GOP’s sweeping legislation. At the heart of it: a staggering $4 trillion addition to the national deficit, all while cutting Medicaid, clean energy investment, and food assistance programs — and handing massive tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.

“That’s like the entire GDP of Canada being put on America’s credit card,” Murphy said bluntly. “And they’re pretending it costs nothing.”

The Gimmick: A “Zero-Cost” Illusion

At the core of Murphy’s criticism is the accounting sleight-of-hand Republicans are using to claim the bill won’t expand the deficit.

How? By pretending Trump-era tax cuts are permanent, when in fact they were designed to expire. Renewing them, as this bill does, should count as new spending. But Republicans argue that since the rates technically remain unchanged, the spending doesn’t count.

It’s fiscal fantasy. And Murphy called it out.

“You can wave around a piece of paper claiming it doesn’t cost anything. But we all know it does — because this bill includes a provision to raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion,” he said.

That’s not just rhetorical flair. It’s explicit authorization for more borrowing — written right into the legislation.

A Cult of Self-Deception

Murphy questioned why more Republicans weren’t speaking out, especially as the consequences of the bill — both fiscal and humanitarian — become clearer. Only Senator Thom Tillis and Senator Rand Paul have publicly broken ranks so far. Tillis, notably, announced he would not seek reelection shortly before opposing the bill.

“It’s like a cult,” Murphy said. “If one member speaks out, the limb gets hacked off.”

In a functioning democracy, he argued, more senators would stand up and block a bill that guts health care and hands out tax breaks to billionaires. But fear of primary challenges and loyalty to former President Trump have overridden reason.

Still in Play: A Sliver of Hope

Despite Republican leadership’s aggressive push, Murphy emphasized that the bill is not yet a done deal.

It’s Monday night, and no final vote has been scheduled. That, in itself, suggests GOP leaders don’t yet have the votes.

“This was supposed to be wrapped up by last Friday,” Murphy said. “They’ve lost two votes and are scrambling to win over others like Susan Collins.”

Murphy pointed to the 2017 failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act as a reminder that surprising outcomes are still possible — if Democrats and concerned citizens hold the line.

Clean Energy Under Siege

One of the most devastating parts of the bill, Murphy said, is its attack on America’s clean energy future.

Under the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. began a massive expansion in domestic clean energy production — not just installing wind and solar farms, but building the manufacturing base to support them. That, Murphy argued, was essential to compete with China, which currently dominates the renewable energy industry.

But the GOP bill proposes to strip tax incentives for clean energy and impose punitive tariffs on any components made in China — a country where many clean energy supply chains still originate. The result? A likely collapse in wind and solar deployment in the U.S.

“We’ll stop building wind and solar entirely,” Murphy warned. “And China will cheer — because we’re handing them the entire renewable energy industry on a silver platter.”

Worse, the bill provides new tax breaks for coal — a 20th-century energy source on the decline — as it crushes support for 21st-century alternatives.

Higher Prices, Fewer Jobs

Murphy didn’t mince words about the consequences for everyday Americans:

Electricity costs could rise 5–20% across the country, particularly in Republican-led states like Texas that heavily rely on wind and solar.

Thousands of mid-development clean energy projects will stall, driving up energy costs even further.

Millions could lose health insurance, as the bill slashes up to $930 billion in Medicaid funding.

Food assistance will be cut, harming the most vulnerable Americans — especially children and seniors.

“All of this is to pay for a $270,000 average tax cut for the richest families in the country,” Murphy said. “It’s the largest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in modern U.S. history.”

A Billion-Dollar Deal with Oil and Gas?

Murphy also drew attention to a report that oil and gas executives met with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago and offered $1 billion in campaign donations in exchange for a rollback of clean energy policy.

“Trump made the deal,” Murphy said. “And this bill is the deal in action.”

The fossil fuel industry wins. The renewable sector loses. The American people pay the price — in health, wealth, and climate stability.

Lies, Denial, and the Death of Truth

Murphy expressed deep concern over how Republican leadership is framing the bill.

Speaker Mike Johnson and others have publicly denied the bill contains any cuts to Medicaid or programs like SNAP. Some point to internal budget analyses — cherry-picked and manipulated — claiming the bill will reduce the deficit by $1.6 trillion.

“They’re just making it up,” Murphy said. “It’s like saying 4 plus 4 equals 7, and repeating it until people believe it.”

That erosion of truth, he warned, is a hallmark of democratic backsliding.

“In a dying democracy, the truth evaporates.”

What Can You Do?

Murphy ended with a call to action.

“This isn’t rocket science,” he said. “Call the swing senators. Flood their offices. Show up at district events. Make it impossible for them to ignore you.”

He specifically named Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins as potential swing votes. He also urged constituents to thank Senator Tillis for his courage in breaking with his party.

“Let them know they’ll pay a political price if they vote for this disaster,” Murphy said. “They’re already paying a moral price.”

The future of the country — and the lives of millions — may depend on the outcome of this vote.