Chris Coons & Roger Marshall Spar Over BBB: 'I'll Never Apologize For Encouraging People To Go Work'

During debate on the Senate floor Monday, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) sparred over President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill.

Transcript

00:00Colleagues, the ugly truth about this so-called Big Beautiful bill is that it will kick 17

00:07million Americans off their health care. This bill cuts almost a trillion dollars

00:13from Medicaid and other health care programs by tying people up in red tape. Republicans will

00:19tell you they're trying to improve Medicaid, but the truth is they're not. It is cruel and dishonest

00:26to bury parents, kids, and seniors in paperwork and then blame them when they lose their health

00:32care, all to further rig our tax code for the very wealthiest. This week I met with 30 nurses from

00:39Delaware. Their patients couldn't come to D.C., so they did. They care for seniors and newborns,

00:46families and the disabled, and they're asked to us, don't take health care away from tens of thousands

00:53of Delawareans and millions of Americans. Colleagues, support this Coons Amendment to eliminate

00:59cruel and unnecessary red tape and allow Americans to keep the health care they need and deserve.

01:08Mr. President. I recognize a senator from Kansas. As I look at this, the senator's motion is on

01:17work requirements. You know, back home we had a saying for people that had an aversion to work,

01:22we called it an allergy to work. But my question is, don't you think a job brings value, that it

01:27brings dignity? Do you not think that a job brings purpose and meaning to life? We have 7 million

01:32healthy American men across this country working age that aren't working right now. So yes, we want

01:38to encourage people to go back to work, but our bill, as you point out, actually preserves and protects

01:43it for those groups. Our bill makes this stronger, financially stronger, so that we can protect it

01:47and strengthen it for seniors and nursing homes, for people with disabilities, for pregnant women and

01:52for children. Let's protect Medicaid for those who need it the most. I urge a no vote on this,

01:58and I'll never apologize for encouraging people to go to work. The question occurs on the most