Democrats Point Fingers at Dying Elders for Big, Beautiful Bill Defeat

The recent passage of the Trump-endorsed Big, Beautiful Bill in Congress, a razor-thin 215-214 victory, has sparked a fiery debate among Democrats, with some pointing fingers at their party’s elder statesmen for holding onto power until their final breath. The bill, which promises sweeping cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and food assistance, has liberals fuming—not just at the outcome, but at their own party’s structural failures.

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Virginia Democrat from Fairfax County, passed away from esophageal cancer just before the vote. His death, alongside those of Reps. Raul Grijalva of Arizona and Sylvester Turner of Texas, left Democrats shorthanded in Congress. All three represented solidly blue districts, and had they retired earlier, their seats could have been filled by fresh Democratic faces in time for the vote.

Rebecca Katz, a seasoned political consultant, didn’t mince words on X: "Imagine if one of the older and sicker Dems would’ve retired instead of died in office and what that would’ve meant for millions of people." Katz, who’s worked with figures like Sen. Ruben Gallego and Rep. Jamaal Bowman, told WTFNewsRoom that no one has a "divine right to rule forever." She argued that Democratic voters are fed up, demanding accountability and a party that fights to win, not one stuck in the past.

The numbers are stark: the last eight federal lawmakers to die in office were Democrats, including Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, whose seat Turner briefly filled. Critics argue this pattern reflects a deeper issue—a party clinging to a gerontocracy, unable to make way for new blood. One outlet even quipped that Democrats resemble a "hospice, if not a funeral home," rather than a vibrant political movement.

But let’s not kid ourselves—retirements wouldn’t have guaranteed a different outcome. House Speaker Mike Johnson had 217 votes locked in, according to sources, meaning Connolly’s absence alone didn’t tip the scales. Still, the optics are rough. Democrats are left grappling with a bitter truth: their party’s reluctance to embrace change may be costing them more than just votes.