So here’s a plot twist you didn’t see coming—Democrats throwing a party for a bill they fought tooth and nail to kill. Not just any bill, either. We’re talking about the infamous “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” the sprawling legislative package Republicans muscled through, packed with spending priorities that make liberals clutch their pearls.
And yet, there they were last week, Reps. Sharice Davids of Kansas and Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, beaming in a joint press release about how thrilled they were to secure $625 million for World Cup security… from the very same bill they publicly voted against.
Let’s pause there. Two Democrats, co-chairs of a bipartisan World Cup caucus, crowing about money they “helped secure.” Money tucked into legislation they condemned as if it were toxic waste. They didn’t whisper it, either—they sent out glowing statements, celebrating how Kansas City is set to “shine on the global stage.” Shine, apparently, courtesy of Republican votes. You can’t make this up.
“I’ve been proud to work with Congressman Cleaver and a bipartisan group of colleagues,” Davids said, polishing up the press release as if the details of the actual vote didn’t matter. Cleaver joined in, boasting about how “very happy” he was to see the $625 million locked in. Conveniently absent? Any hint of how that cash actually got there. You know, that little detail about the bill they trashed in public while cashing in on it behind the scenes.
And here’s where it gets deliciously awkward. The “One Big, Beautiful Bill” is not some random bipartisan buffet. It’s the legislative jewel of Trump’s second term agenda, stuffed with conservative wins, including tax reforms, Medicaid tightening, and a fiscal blueprint Democrats swore would sink the country. They railed against it. They staged floor speeches over it. They put out fundraising emails warning about it. And then—surprise!—they turned around and claimed victory over one of its provisions like they’d just pulled off a heist.
Republicans noticed, of course. Rep. Mark Alford of Missouri couldn’t resist a jab, pointing out on X that Democrats “voted no on the One Big, Beautiful Bill yet they are starting to claim the dough.” Lisa McClain from Michigan chimed in too, laughing publicly at the irony while twisting the knife just a little deeper. After all, how often do you see your opponents stomp on your bill and then proudly cut the ribbon on projects funded by it?
JUST IN: USA chants break out after Speaker Mike Johnson announces that the “Big Beautiful Bill” has been passed.
The bill was passed with a vote of 218-214.
Every Democrat representative voted against it.
The bill will now head to President Trump’s desk. The president is… pic.twitter.com/xXk0xi7kwz
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 3, 2025
It’s not as though this phenomenon is entirely new—both parties have, at times, cherry-picked credit for pieces of legislation they couldn’t stomach in full. But this one feels different. Maybe it’s the brazenness of celebrating a provision from a bill they labeled disastrous.
Maybe it’s the sheer timing, coming right as the Biden-aligned crowd is struggling to sell their own fractured agenda. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because even they know that when a massive Republican spending plan delivers tangible results, their own voters might start to notice.
So while the cameras flash and the press releases flow, one question lingers in the background, unanswered and inconvenient: if the bill is so toxic… why does it taste so good now?
