On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that was a priority for President Donald Trump.

The budget bill was approved 215-214, with Democrats opposed, according to the Associated Press. The bill now heads to the Senate.

In the Rio Grande Valley, congress members Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar said they voted against the bill, while Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz said she voted for it.

Below are statements from their offices.

Vicente Gonzalez

According to a statement from Gonzalez’s office, the House Republican Budget Bill will strip almost 14 million Americans off their healthcare, including nearly 50,000 South Texans, and add at least $3.8 trillion to the national deficit.  

“There is nothing ‘beautiful’ about a bill that lowers taxes for the ultra-rich on the backs of our senior citizens, our children, and our veterans,” Congressman Gonzalez said in a statement. “Ripping away health insurance, raising food prices nationwide, increasing the cost of education, harming our senior citizens, and hurting federal workers’ retirement is shameful and I will not stand for it.”

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, an estimated 49,380 South Texans Gonzalez’s district will lose their healthcare from the proposed Republican budget, the statement added. This includes people losing both Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage.

The statement added that the “drastic cuts would devastate South Texas.” According to the statement, 65,313 households in Gonzalez’s district are enrolled in SNAP, the highest out of any congressional district in Texas. 

“SNAP cuts also harm struggling farmers and ranchers by reducing consumer demand for food products, which impacts their revenue and bottom line,” the statement said. “In short, the Republican budget will leave South Texans and Americans sicker, hungrier, and poorer while the ultra-rich continue to line their pockets.”

Monica De La Cruz

"The One, Big, Beautiful Bill strengthens our border security by investing in Border Patrol Agents and innovative border technology,” De La Cruz said. “This legislation also secures major wins for Americans, such as providing critical tax relief for seniors, eliminating tax on tips and overtime, and preventing tax hikes for families. I am proud to vote for this legislation and will continue to deliver wins for South Texas." 

According to De La Cruz’s office, the bill invests $90 billion in border security — including funding for Customs and Border Patrol facilities and the hiring and training of 3,000 new Border Patrol Agents. The bill would also reimburse the state of Texas for border security measures implemented during the Biden Administration, makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent and protects American taxpayers from a 22% tax hike.

States would also be incentivized to administer SNAP “efficiently and effectively,” the statement added. SNAP work requirements for “able-bodied adults without young dependents” would be restored under the bill.

Henry Cuellar

In a statement, Cuellar said he voted against the bill out of concerns that the legislation “would raise costs for working families and make deep cuts to essential programs.”

Below is his statement in full:

“I voted against this bill because I believe it would harm families in my district. No fiscally responsible budget adds $3.8 trillion to the national debt. That’s just not sustainable. I’ve supported responsible tax cuts in the past to help working families and small businesses. But that’s not what this bill does. It shifts the burden onto families who are just trying to get ahead while giving the biggest breaks to those who need them the least. According to estimates, more than 43,000 people in my district could lose their health coverage – 34,000 through the Affordable Care Act and another 9,000 through Medicaid. Similarly, over 3.4 million Texans rely on SNAP to put food on the table. With 17% of Texas households already facing food insecurity, we can’t afford to cut back on school meals or nutrition assistance. These aren’t just numbers – they represent families, children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities who rely on these programs to get by. This is in addition to new tariffs driving up prices on groceries, clothing, home goods, and essential supplies families rely on every day. This bill doesn’t reflect the values of Texas or the needs of working families. People in South Texas aren’t asking for special treatment, just a fair shot. That means protecting health care, investing in kids, and making sure tax policy is responsible and balanced.”

According to Cuellar’s office, the bill is projected to raise taxes on low-income households, reduce Medicaid and SNAP funding by hundreds of billions of dollars, and remove key protections that help patients afford care. It would also limit states’ ability to respond to health emergencies and reduce provider funding that rural hospitals, nursing homes, and community clinics rely on to stay open.