NH Dems incensed over signing of GOP megabill

Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) proposed four amendments designed to alleviate the impact of H.R. 1. None of them were included in the final bill. Courtesy photo/U.S. House of Representatives
New Hampshire’s Democratic federal delegation expressed its vexation about the passage and signing of H.R. 1, better known as the Big Beautiful Bill.
The U.S. Senate voted 51-50 on July 1 to approve the 887-page bill with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote. Two days later, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 218-212 to send the bill to the Oval Office. It was then signed into law by President Donald Trump on the Fourth of July.
The legislation is expected to make several drastic cuts to Medicaid totaling $880 billion by 2034. In Nashua alone, there are 16,778 residents who rely on Medicaid, many of whom are children. H.R. 1 is also projected to add $3 trillion to the National Debt during the next 10 years. According to the National Debt Clock, America’s debt is currently the highest in the world at $37 trillion.
Prior to the House vote, Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) proposed four amendments to alleviate the impact of the megabill.
The first amendment required the Pentagon to pass a “clean audit” before receiving surplus funding. The second amendment was created to save jobs at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The third amendment called for the restoration of the Inflation Reduction Act and its tax credits for clean energy home investments. The final amendment required that the bill be delayed until the comptroller general determined that the legislation would not result in the loss of federal benefits or cause nursing homes and hospitals to be closed.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) presented an amendment H.R. 1 to save four clean energy tax credits. All except two Senate Republicans voted to block her amendment. Courtesy photo/U.S. Senate
None of Goodlander’s amendments were included in the final bill.
“It’s a beautiful bill only for one group of people and that is the billionaires who are going to make out like bandits. I read every bill that we vote on in the United States House of Representatives and that’s why I was a hard no on H.R. 1,” said Goodlander. “The GOP’s budget bill will add trillions of dollars to America’s already sky-high debt to pay for tax giveaways to billionaires who do not need them. Millions of Americans, and tens of thousands of people across New Hampshire, could see their healthcare ripped away under the bill. This bill kills good paying jobs and will jack up healthcare costs, energy costs, education costs and more. At a moment when the cost crisis is standing between hardworking people and the American dream, this bill is bad for New Hampshire and bad for America.”
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) also presented an amendment to save four clean energy tax credits. However, all except two Senate Republicans voted to block her amendment.
“For the many Granite State families who are worried about energy costs, the ‘Big Beautiful Betrayal’ only promises more pain. To give tax breaks to billionaires and corporations, Republicans are cutting highly effective tax credits that help people save money on their utility bills by making home energy efficiency updates,” said Shaheen. “I heard from businesses and town leaders about so many successful energy projects that are already delivering cost savings for taxpayers. Now, future projects are on the chopping block and jobs will be lost because of this bill.”
U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) reiterated the consequences of cutting Medicaid.
“This bill takes health care away from tens of thousands of Granite Staters, raises health premiums and other costs on all Americans and saddles our children and grandchildren with trillions in debt in order to pay for tax giveaways for corporate special interests and billionaires,” she said. “From doctors in the North Country to seniors in Nashua, I’ve heard from countless Granite Staters about the devastating impact that this bill will have on our communities.”
Hassan said what New Hampshire truly needs is “relief from the high cost of essentials.”
“I’ve joined many of my colleagues in putting forward bipartisan proposals to cut taxes and lower costs for hardworking families and small businesses,” she said. “But instead of working with us to make life more affordable, the president and Congressional Republicans have doubled down on this bill, which will mean that more people will get sick, our economy will be weakened and families will be hurt.”
Raymond Buckley, chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, said that statewide, more than 46,000 residents will lose their health insurance. In addition, 76,000 families will be at risk of losing food assistance.
“This egregious bill is the product of Donald Trump’s anti-American agenda that leaves everyday Americans behind and gives massive tax breaks to his billionaire backers at our expense,” said Buckley.
- Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) proposed four amendments designed to alleviate the impact of H.R. 1. None of them were included in the final bill. Courtesy photo/U.S. House of Representatives
- U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) presented an amendment H.R. 1 to save four clean energy tax credits. All except two Senate Republicans voted to block her amendment. Courtesy photo/U.S. Senate