The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) condemns the passage of the abhorrent budget bill that enriches the wealthy at the expense of the vulnerable. We are grieved by the suffering that will come as people are denied access to health care, food, and other needed safety net services.  

The effects of this bill are detrimental. On average, over the next 10 years, 51,000 people will die annually because of cuts to Medicaid and subsidies to make health insurance more affordable. The poorest taxpayers will lose resources while those who already live comfortably will receive more over the next decade.  

Because of the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, which would be more aptly called the Big Brutal Bill, student loans will be more expensive, and consumer protections will be lost. An estimated $3.3 trillion will be added to the national debt, and the costs to finance that debt will rise. The negative impacts were detailed in numerous reports from the Congressional Budget Office and other non-partisan research, yet both houses of government passed the bill, albeit by slim margins.  

These effects do not even factor in the devastating impact of cuts to environmental programs, increased military spending for weapons of war, mired in cost overruns and delays while doing nothing to make Americans safer. Disappointingly, Congress has found funds to ensure the mass incarceration and deportation of immigrants and asylum seekers who only hope to live unafraid in peace and have a means to support their families and contribute to their communities. 

NCC pledges to be relentless in its efforts to rescind the most destructive parts of this legislation in hopes of mitigating its impact on the most vulnerable people in our communities. Further, we will continue to live out the biblical call to defend the rights of and speak up for the most vulnerable among us.