Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego fired up a crowd in Iowa on Saturday by attacking the GOP’s tax bill that is backed by President Donald Trump.
Speaking at a town-hall meeting in Davenport, eastern Iowa, Gallego, a Marine veteran and Arizona’s first Latino U.S. senator, said the bill, known as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” would make Americans “sicker and poorer” because of its cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs.
Why It Matters
The House of Representatives passed the One Big, Beautiful Bill by 218 votes to 214 in July, after months of internal GOP divisions and last-minute negotiations.
The more than 1,000-page legislation extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, and boosts funding for immigration enforcement and defense. The bill will also reduce Department of Health and Human Services budget by $880 billion over 10 years, including cuts to Medicaid.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill would result in 11.8 million people losing health insurance by 2034, with the majority of those losing their coverage from Medicaid.
Gallego’s town hall appearance sparked further speculation about him potentially running for president in 2028.
What To Know
Gallego told an audience of some 180 Democrats: “We are now sicker and poorer because of Donald Trump. We are now sicker and poorer because of [Iowa GOP Representative Mariannette] Miller-Meeks. We are now going to be sicker and poorer—and dead, according to [Iowa GOP Senator Joni Ernst]—because they made that choice.”
He also weighed in on the Jeffrey Epstein files controversy. “It’s just something odd about it. It just smells bad,” he said.
During his visit to Iowa, he dodged a question about a presidential run, posed by local news outlet KCCI 8 News. “Right now, all I’m considering is how do we win back in 2026, how do we get more Democrats into the House, to the Senate, how do we pass sane legislation,” he said.
“It’s a long time from now,” he continued. “Right now, let’s just focus on 2026.”
The Iowa State Fair is known for drawing White House hopefuls. Sen. @RubenGallego (D-AZ), who stopped at the Iowa State Fair yesterday, isn’t ruling out a 2028 presidential bid but told me he’s “focused on 2026” right now. He says he’ll come back to the fair next year. @KCCINews pic.twitter.com/hAgExfSSY9
— Amanda Rooker KCCI (@ARookerKCCI) August 9, 2025
What People Are Saying
Pete Wernimont, a Waterloo resident who attended the town hall told The Associated Press: “I think this bill is helping Democrats see clearly what’s at stake with the future of protections for so many regular Americans. I just hope they are there when it really matters a year from now.”
Alexandra Salter, a physician assistant from Davenport told the outlet: “I came here because I work in health care and this bill will hurt health care. I think we are getting more vocal about it, because we need to speak up.”
Speaking before the event, Senator Ruben Gallego told reporters: “This is the galvanizing moment that’s happening because Democrats now understand, we’re the people that fight for the middle class and the working class of America. This is a clarifying moment for us.”
He continued: “Trying to reinvigorate the Democratic Party, trying to remind us that our core base is working class and working class issues—that’s all we’re focusing on. I will definitely be back to help out any Democrat in 2026 and 2028 because Iowa should be in play in both years.”
What Happens Next
Democrats will continue to attack Republican policies as they hope to gain support in advance of November 2026’s midterm elections.
Meanwhile, whether Gallego runs for president in 2028 remains to be seen.
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