Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
Tensions are rising between Texas Democrats and Republicans over sweeping federal budget cuts passed in Congress, with both sides presenting starkly different views of the consequences for Texas families. The debate has escalated as Texas House Democrats, joined by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), held a press conference in Illinois to condemn the cuts and protest what they describe as political overreach by Governor Greg Abbott and former President Donald Trump.
“Governor Abbott and AG Paxton might think their threats against House Democrats will work, but they won’t,” said a spokesperson for the Texas House Democratic Caucus. “Their threats against us pale in comparison to the threat that Donald Trump and they pose to both democracy as well as Texas communities.”
Democrats argue that the legislation—dubbed by its opponents as Trump’s “Big Beautiful Disaster”—includes massive cuts to healthcare and food assistance programs, which will disproportionately affect low-income Texans. According to the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, 430,000 Texans are expected to lose health coverage due to changes in Medicaid policy. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates a $39 billion reduction in Medicaid funding to Texas over the next decade.
The Senate reconciliation bill also proposes $186 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) nationwide. In Texas, approximately 275,000 residents could lose SNAP benefits due to expanded work requirements, according to Texans Care for Children. The North Texas Food Bank reports that Texas could face $716 million annually in additional food benefit obligations beginning in FY 2028, along with $89.5 million in yearly administrative costs starting in FY 2026.
“These cuts will literally take food out of children’s mouths,” said one Democratic lawmaker at the event in St. Charles, Illinois. “This is not just about politics—it’s about the everyday lives of Texans.”
In response, Republican leaders have defended the budget package, insisting it is a necessary corrective to federal spending. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has argued that Medicaid work requirements are “reasonable and responsible,” and that they encourage self-sufficiency while preserving services for the most vulnerable. “We’re not slashing healthcare. We’re protecting it from abuse and making sure it serves those who truly need it,” Cornyn said in a recent statement.
Governor Abbott, for his part, has focused more on the walkout staged by Democratic lawmakers than the content of the federal legislation. He has described the Democratic quorum break as “a dereliction of duty” and called for legal consequences. “If you don’t show up to work, you don’t get paid—and you don’t get to dictate how the state is run,” Abbott told reporters.
Attorney General Ken Paxton has also entered the fight, warning of potential bribery charges against Democrats who fled the state to block redistricting maps. Texas Democrats have dismissed these threats as political theater. “Ken Paxton’s threats don’t pass the most basic legal standard or ethical smell test,” the Democratic Caucus said. “There is no probable cause to file an indictment.”
Texas Republicans maintain that the redistricting efforts—another point of contention—are constitutional and reflect the political will of voters. In defense of the budget, House Speaker Mike Johnson said the bill represents “a structural fix to a broken system.” He added, “This isn’t a cut for the sake of cruelty. It’s a realignment of priorities.”
Still, some GOP officials have expressed concern about the impact on rural Texas. Congressman Tony Gonzales (R-TX 23) acknowledged that, while he supports the overall goal of the budget reforms, he’s wary of losing access to essential services in remote areas. “We have to ensure that we’re not punishing rural communities in the name of reform,” Gonzales told the Houston Chronicle.
Public sentiment appears mixed but leans critical of the cuts. The Associated Press–NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll—finding that only about one‑quarter of U.S. adults say President Trump’s policies have “done more to help” them—was conducted July 10–14, 2025, and published July 17, 2025.
The CNN poll showing that 61% of Americans oppose the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (the reconciliation package) was conducted July 10–13, 2025, and published mid‑July 2025 (reported July 16, 2025)
The disagreement between Texas Democrats and Republicans now extends beyond state lines, with national political implications. With midterm elections approaching in 2026, both parties are using this moment to define their stance on healthcare, food security, and federal responsibility.
