Congressman Brad Sherman Hosts +5,000 in Telephone Town Hall before Voting Against Trump’s “Big Ugly” Bill in the Dead of Night
SHERMAN OAKS, CALIFORNIA – Last night, Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32)hosted more than 5,000 constituentsin a liveTelephone Town Hall just before casting his vote against President Donald Trump’s “Big Bill” — a massive Republican budget plan loaded with tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and deep cuts to vital healthcare and nutrition assistance programs for American families.
“The energy during last night’s Town Hall meeting made it clear: people are alert, informed, and demanding leadership that’s willing to stand up to this administration’s outrageous corruption and brazen abuses of power,” said Congressman Sherman.
Congressman Sherman used the Town Hall to brief constituents on his efforts to push back against what he called “a coordinated assault on working families, democracy, and ethics” tied to Trump’s policy comeback and personal profiteering.
At the start of the event, Congressman Sherman broke down the contents of the Republican budget reconciliation bill, which slashes Medicaid funding, repeals key climate initiatives, and includes major tax breaks for the wealthy. He explained why he would be voting no right after the Town Hall: “This big, ugly bill epitomizes the true nature of Trump’s entire policy agenda — one that favors billionaires over everyday Americans.”
The Congressman also addressed recent corruption schemes surrounding Trump’s business dealings:
-The Qatari government’s offering Trump a luxury jet while lobbying his allies in Washington;
-China’s state-affiliated entities purchasing large stakes in a Trump-branded cryptocurrency initiative, raising red flags about foreign influence and national security;
-A $2 million investment from Abu Dhabi into Trump’s so-called “stablecoin” crypto venture, which Sherman characterized as “yet another pay-to-play scheme cloaked in blockchain buzzwords.”
“These aren’t isolated incidents — they form a pattern of transactional politics and foreign entanglements that put personal gain over public duty in a way that’s dangerously unprecedented,” Sherman told constituents.
He also laid out broader Democratic efforts to resist Trump’s broader agenda, including fighting attempts to roll back voting rights, immigrant protections, safeguards for consumers and more.
Constituents brought forward their own concerns, ranging from the future of reproductive rights, the health of our economy amid Trump’s tariffs, to the safeguarding of our democracy in the face of rising extremism — areas where Sherman said Congress must act with urgency and resolve.
Shortly before heading to the Capitol to cast his vote against Trump’s massive and extremist budget bill, the Congressman concluded the Town Hall meeting by encouraging constituents to stay engaged and continue raising their voices against the on-going assault on our democratic norms.
During the Town Hall, Sherman requested input from residents by asking a series of survey questions about their thoughts and concerns.
The results of the survey questions are as follows:
- Do you approve of President Trump’s performance as President so far?
- Approve: 7%
- Disapprove: 90%
- Unsure: 2%
- Should your Member of Congress vote for legislation that they think is good for the country, or should they vote NO on everything that Republican Speaker Johnson is willing to propose and Trump is willing to sign?
- Obstruction & Resistance: Vote NO on all of Speaker Johnson and President Trump's legislation: 38%
- Negotiate with Republicans but only vote for a bill Democrats think is good: 55%
- Vote with Republicans: 3%
- Unsure: 4%
- Should I vote for the Republican reconciliation bill that provides a tax cut of $82,000 to those who make over $1 million per year, takes away healthcare from 14 million Americans, and increases the U.S. debt by over $5 trillion?
- Yes, vote for the Republican bill: 4%
- No / Hell No, don’t vote for the Republican bill: 91%
- Unsure: 4%
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