Democrats have erupted in a storm of outrage over the passage of US President Donald Trump’s budget bill, delivering scathing critiques that hint at the attack lines they are likely to pursue in next year’s midterm elections.

The tax and spending legislation passed in the House on Thursday without any Democratic support and with two Republican dissenters — Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzgerald of Pennsylvania.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said, “Donald Trump and the Republican party sent a message to America: if you are not a billionaire, we don’t give a damn about you. While the GOP continues to cash their billionaire donors’ checks, their constituents will starve, lose critical medical care, lose their jobs – and yes, some will die as a result of this bill.”

Martin vowed to fight: “We will fight back to make sure everybody knows exactly who is responsible for one of the worst bills in our nation’s history,” reported The Guardian.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the bill’s passage “not normal,” and criticised the trade-off between tax cuts for billionaires and the erosion of social safety nets.

She pointed out that Republicans voted to make permanent tax breaks for billionaires, while a tax break on tips for low-wage earners — those earning under $25,000 — will sunset in three years.

The bill includes cuts to Medicaid expansion, which will strip eligibility from tipped employees and end subsidies for insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The bill also slashes Snap food assistance benefits.

“I don’t think anyone is prepared for what they just did with ICE,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion – making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, [the] DEA and others combined. It is setting up to make what’s happening now look like child’s play. And people are disappearing.”

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib called the bill “disgusting” and “an act of violence against our communities.”

She added, “Republicans should be ashamed for saying, ‘Just get over it’ because ‘We’re all going to die.’ They are responsible for the 50,000 people who will die unnecessarily every year because of this deadly budget.”

Senator Raphael Warnock said: “This is a dark day for our country. Republicans in Washington have decided to sell out working people. As a result, millions will lose their healthcare and many millions more will see their premiums go up. Rural hospitals and nursing homes across Georgia will be forced to close. Children will be forced to go hungry so that we can give billionaires another tax cut.”

The bill’s lead up was marked by controversial remarks from key Republicans.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told fellow Republicans in a closed-door meeting, “I know a lot of us are hearing from people back home about Medicaid. But they’ll get over it,” reported Punchbowl News.

In May, Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, during a town hall in Parkersburg, dismissed concerns about people dying without healthcare by saying, “People are not… well, we all are going to die,” drawing audible groans from the audience, reported The Guardian.

Before the bill headed to the House, former President Barack Obama had said: “More than 16 million Americans are at risk of losing their health care because Republicans in Congress are rushing to pass a bill that would cut federal funding for Medicaid and weaken the Affordable Care Act.”

“If the House passes this bill, it will increase costs and hurt working-class families for generations to come. Call your representative today and tell them to vote no on this bill,” he added.

ICE, or US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is a federal agency under the department of homeland security.

It is tasked with enforcing immigration, customs, and trade laws. The agency identifies, investigates, and dismantles criminal networks that pose threats to national security and economic stability.

President Trump’s budget proposal, titled the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” faces criticism for what many see as an extreme stance on immigration.

The bill proposes a massive $150 billion allocation for immigration enforcement over four years. This includes $46.5 billion to build over 1,600 miles of new border walls and $45 billion to expand detention centers.

But Democrats see a potential political advantage.

Party leaders believe the bill’s unpopularity could help them win back one or both chambers of Congress in the midterms, reported by The New York Times.

They plan to target Republicans who voted for the bill, especially those representing districts with large Medicaid-dependent populations.

“There’s going to be some powerful ads,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, referencing scripts that will highlight the personal toll of the bill’s provisions. “‘My daughter had cancer. She was doing fine. Well, all of a sudden, her health care was blown up.’ ‘I worked at this rural hospital for 30 years. I put my heart into it because I wanted to help people. I was fired.’ Stuff like that is going to really matter.”

David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Obama, noted: “The extent of its impact will rely, in part, on how effective Democrats are in laying out the negative trade-offs of the bill and how quickly people feel them.”