As the Senate moved forward with voting on President Donald Trump‘s controversial “big, beautiful bill,” Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) slammed Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) for lamenting that the vote had cost him a “beach” vacation, saying lawmakers “should want to be here.”
The tension between the two Pennsylvania Democrats spilled into public view after Fetterman vented to reporters on June 30 about missing a family beach trip due to the Senate’s round-the-clock voting schedule, The Hill reported.
“Oh my God, I just want to go home. I’ve already … I’ve missed our entire trip to the beach,” he said, frustrated with the bill’s inevitable passage.
That comment didn’t sit well with Boyle. In an interview released July 1 by The Bulwark, he alluded to Fetterman’s comment, saying, “If you are here, you’re damn lucky, and you’re privileged to be here. You should want to be here. If you don’t want to be here, leave.”
Boyle added that he was prepared to stay up “48 straight hours, 72 straight hours, do whatever it takes to block this bill from becoming law.”
The “big, beautiful bill,” a sweeping tax and spending package championed by Trump, narrowly cleared the Senate on Tuesday and is now headed to the House, where Republican leaders are pushing to pass it by July 4. The bill has triggered sharp criticism from Democrats, who say it slashes Medicaid and food assistance in favor of corporate tax breaks and military spending.
Trump, meanwhile, celebrated the win on Truth Social, posting that the legislation now belongs to “everyone,” not just the House or Senate.
Originally published on Latin Times
