US Rep. Glenn Thompson votes for Trump’s megabill, calls it a ‘game-changer’

Centre County’s congressman was among “yes” votes Thursday for President Donald Trump’s megabill, which passed through the House of Representatives after a nightlong deliberation.

In a written statement to the CDT after the bill known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed, U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Howard, renewed his support for the bill.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill is a victory for rural America, making the largest investment in agriculture in decades, restoring integrity to SNAP, and saving millions of family farms from the death tax,” Thompson said. “This bill gives President Trump the tools he needs to keep America safe, strong, and free.”

Thompson also voted in favor of the bill’s original version in May, the same month it was introduced.

After Democratic Minority Leader of the House Hakeem Jeffries’ record-breaking 8-hour-long speech to delay the House’s decision, GOP representatives were successful in passing the bill before Trump’s July 4 deadline. It now heads to Trump’s desk.

The bill narrowly passed the Senate earlier in the week, with Pennsylvania’s Democratic Sen. John Fetterman voting “hell no” and Republican Sen. Dave McCormick voting in favor.

The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act increases spending for border security, defense and energy production. But critics have blasted the GOP’s support for the bill, citing its major cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid benefits.

To partially pay for its spending increases and tax cuts, the bill will slash SNAP funding by $295 billion over the next 10 years, according to the Commonwealth Fund. Medicaid, too, is at risk as the bill will cut benefits for an estimated 12 million Americans by 2034, NPR reports.

In Thompson’s 15th Congressional District, more than 15,000 could lose Medicaid coverage and nearly 7,000 could lose SNAP benefits, according to data from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office.

“SNAP helps millions of Pennsylvanians put food on the table, including almost 5,200 households here in Centre County,” state Rep. Paul Takac, D-College Township, said Wednesday during a press conference with other state officials at Wasson Farm Market in Harris Township.

A group of protesters gathered outside of Thompson’s Benner Pike office on Wednesday evening — outside of the weekly “Thompson Tuesday” protests there — to urge him to vote no on the bill.

Abbey Carr, the executive director of the Centre County Democratic Committee, condemned Thompson and his vote Thursday in a written statement to the CDT.

“Every day [Thompson] proves to his constituents that he cares for absolutely none of them,” the statement read. “Glenn Thompson’s constituents in PA-15 now have to choose between buying food, going bankrupt, or taking a one-way trip to the morgue. It is time for the PA-15 to elect someone with a backbone to represent ALL of us in DC.”

Despite heavy criticism from Centre County protesters and state officials including Shapiro and Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, Thompson, who’s the chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, maintains that the bill will benefit his constituents and called it a “game-changer for America.”

“This historic legislation delivers the largest tax cut in American history, providing direct relief to working families and boosting take-home pay,” Thompson wrote Thursday in his statement to the CDT. “It slashes wasteful Washington spending, eliminates red tape, and makes major investments in border security, energy independence, and national defense.”

Thompson, a Centre County native, has represented Pennsylvania’s 15th District, which encompasses parts of 18 different counties, since 2019. In his last election, Thompson won against his Democratic opponent by more than a 40-point margin. His current term ends January 2027.

This story was originally published July 3, 2025 at 3:16 PM.

Jaden Perry

Centre Daily Times

Jaden Perry is a summer intern reporter for the Centre Daily Times.