The top Democrat in the U.S. House is holding a town hall Thursday in Louisiana, home to Republican Speaker Mike Johnson and his deputy, to rally against the healthcare cuts in the GOP bill that President Donald Trump signed into law.
Led by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Democrats are taking their case about Trump's signature second-term domestic policy priorities directly to the people with the event in Democrat-heavy New Orleans, outside the districts represented by Johnson in northwestern Louisiana and Majority Leader Steve Scalise in the city's suburbs and elsewhere.
Jeffries said during a nearly nine-hour speech in the House before a final congressional vote last week that restrictions on healthcare and access to food aid in the tax breaks and spending cuts package were "immoral." He pledged that Democrats would "stand up and push back against it with everything we have," though the minority party was unable to prevent passage.
Democrat leaders believe the new law will sway voters before the 2026 midterm elections, when Democrats look to win control of the House and break the hold that Trump and the GOP have on Washington.
The measure includes about $4.5 trillion in tax breaks by extending cuts made during Trump's first term, mostly benefiting the wealthiest Americans, and adding new ones including no taxes on tips. It also slashes clean energy tax credits and unleashes hundreds of billions of dollars for Trump's national security agenda, including for border patrol and deportations.
The Republican leaders who stood with Trump at the White House as he signed the bill into law July 4 insist the measure will boost the U.S. economy, strengthen U.S. borders, and ensure millions won't see a tax increase.
"With one big, beautiful bill, we are going to make this country stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever before," Johnson said.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates 11.8 million adults and children are at risk of losing their health insurance due to the Republican law, which over time will make it harder to enroll in federal healthcare programs, including Medicaid and others created by President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. Additionally, it estimated 3 million Americans will no longer qualify for food stamps, also known as SNAP benefits.
The legislation reduces federal Medicaid spending by $1 trillion. Louisiana is among states expected to lose one-fifth of its Medicaid budget over the next decade as a result.
An estimated 1.5 million people in Louisiana are enrolled in the healthcare program, and the policies could increase the uninsured population by more than 200,000, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. In Johnson's own district, some 38% of the residents are enrolled in Medicaid, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Most of the healthcare changes, including the new Medicaid work requirements on certain adults, will not begin until after the 2026 midterm elections, though a number of providers are already beginning to prepare for potential cutbacks.
In the town hall, Jeffries and other House Democrats will seek to hammer home the bill's impact on Louisianans represented by Johnson and Scalise. The offices of Johnson and Scalise did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The evening event, hosted by Rep. Troy Carter, a Democrat who represents the much of the city, is set to include co-chairs of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee and "Louisianans impacted by Medicaid cuts," according to a press release from Carter's office.
"Following the passage of the #BigUGLYBill, this conversation is more critical than ever," Carter wrote in a post on Instagram.
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