White House Scrambles to Rename Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ as Backlash Rages
Republican strategists say that if they throw in popular phrases such as “working families” and “tax cuts,” voters will embrace the deeply unpopular legislation.
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast
Republicans are hoping that giving President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” a new name will make voters stop hating the president’s signature legislation and allow the GOP to keep control of Congress.
Recent polls from CNN, CBS, and Fox News found the spending bill—which Republicans narrowly passed in July—has a net favorability rating of -19 percent to -22 percent, making it one of the most unpopular pieces of legislation ever to become law, CNN’s polling guru Harry Enten said earlier this month.
Republican lawmakers who have tried to sell the bill to their constituents during in-person town halls have been met with furious voters who booed, jeered and even hurled NSFW insults at their representatives.
In response, the White House is trying to adopt a more concrete message that will appeal to a wider audience, NBC News reported.
President Trump demanded that House Speaker Mike Johnson include all of the White House's legislative priorities—including tax cuts and mass deportation funding—in "one big beautiful bill."
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
GOP strategists have advised lawmakers to pick a new name with some phrases that poll well, such as the “Working Family Tax Cuts” act or even the “Trump Working Family Tax Cuts,” according to NBC.
The name is justified, Republicans say, because the spending bill eliminates taxes on tips and overtime.
The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, however, found the legislation was regressive overall, with most of the benefits going to high-income households. Those earning $460,000 to $1.1 million will see their after-tax incomes rise by more than 4 percent, while households making less than $35,000 will receive just a 1 percent increase, which will be offset by higher health insurance and food costs.
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The bill cut about $1 trillion from Medicaid and is projected to add $3.4 trillion to the federal deficit over the next 10 years, which will in turn trigger more than $490 billion in additional Medicare cuts, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
An estimated 10 million people will lose health insurance as a result of the legislation, according to the CBO.
Republicans are facing additional pressure in the midterms as inflation from President Trump's tariffs kicks in.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
In a statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told NBC News, “The One Big Beautiful Bill was the largest tax cut for middle class and working families in American history. The White House looks forward to continue working with our friends on Capitol Hill to define what this historic piece of legislation means for Americans across the country.”
Trump, for his part, is proud of the alliteration and has no plans to stop calling it the BBB, according to NBC.
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