Tag: budget
Senate Parliamentarian Enrages GOP With Crushing Blow To Trump's Budget Bill

Senate Parliamentarian Enrages GOP With Crushing Blow To Trump's Budget Bill

The Senate parliamentarian delivered a significant setback to congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump’s extensive domestic agenda on Thursday, otherwise known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

The highly unpopular legislation that’s so central to Trump’s policy goals was already on shaky ground because of its core premise: cutting entitlement programs like Medicaid to fund tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. Now, about a week before the Trump administration’s self-imposed July 4 signing deadline, it’s also falling apart on procedural grounds.

Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, a nonpartisan adviser who helps senators navigate procedures and rules, determined that several key provisions of the legislation violate the Senate’s budget rules and cannot be included under the fast-track reconciliation process Republicans are using to bypass a Democratic filibuster. Among the casualties are limits on student loan repayment options and a controversial crackdown on states’ use of the “provider tax loophole” to secure more federal Medicaid dollars.

That last one presents a big problem. Nearly every state utilizes the loophole in some form, and senators from states that depend heavily on it—especially those with rural hospitals—have warned they won’t support the bill unless it’s amended.

MacDonough’s ruling forces GOP leaders back to the drawing board. If they cannot salvage the struck-down provisions, they will lose more than $500 billion in planned spending cuts, according to Bobby Kogan, a former Democratic Senate Budget Committee staffer now with the Center for American Progress. And unless they find a work-around, Republicans would need 60 votes to keep those provisions—an unlikely prospect given the GOP’s narrow Senate margin.

Meanwhile, the tax cuts at the core of the bill remain under review.

This isn’t the first time MacDonough has blocked parts of the GOP’s wishlist. She’s previously rejected attempts to cut SNAP benefits and limit federal judges’ authority to block Trump’s policies.

Her decision has sparked immediate outrage among conservatives, with some Republicans now openly calling for her removal.

“The Senate Parliamentarian is not elected. She is not accountable to the American people. Yet she holds veto power over legislation supported by millions of voters,” Rep. Greg Steube of Florida posted on social media.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville went further, attacking the “WOKE parliamentarian” for rejecting cuts to states that fund health care for undocumented immigrants.

“This is a perfect example of why Americans hate THE SWAMP,” the Alabama senator wrote. “Unelected bureaucrats think they know better than U.S. Congressmen who are elected BY THE PEOPLE. Her job is not to push a woke agenda. THE SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN SHOULD BE FIRED ASAP.”

Unsurprisingly, Democrats welcomed the ruling.

“Republicans are scrambling to rewrite parts of this bill to continue advancing their families lose, and billionaires win agenda,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon. “But Democrats stand ready to fully scrutinize any changes and ensure the Byrd Rule is enforced.”

MacDonough, for her part, has blocked many Democratic priorities, including raising the federal minimum wage to $15 and parts of the party’s immigration reform efforts. She is a neutral rules referee, not a political player. If Republicans dislike the process, they can always eliminate the filibuster, a tactic which effectively requires a 60-vote supermajority to pass legislation. So far, they have not.

Nevertheless, the parliamentarian’s ruling could prove decisive. Senate Republicans had hoped to vote this weekend or sooner to give the House time to finalize changes and get the bill to Trump’s desk before his holiday deadline. That timeline now appears uncertain.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune attempted to downplay the chaos.

“These are speed bumps along the way; we anticipated those and so we have contingency plans,” Thune said. He also added that Republicans wouldn’t try to overrule MacDonough’s guidance.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was less optimistic, suggesting the GOP would “probably” still hold a vote this weekend.

Behind the scenes, Republicans are trying to modify the provisions MacDonough struck down, though it remains unclear whether they can be tweaked or must be entirely removed. One GOP source told Axios that the party still hopes to “find a solution to achieve the desired results.”

If not, they’re stuck. And for Trump, it’s another prominent legislative obstacle—this time from an unelected rules referee standing between him and a desperately wanted victory.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Desperate Republicans Trying To Bully 'Vulnerable' Democrats Over Trump Budget

Desperate Republicans Trying To Bully 'Vulnerable' Democrats Over Trump Budget

The GOP congressional campaign arm is set to launch an advertising campaign attacking Democrats who opposed President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” that dismantles much of the safety net—yet another reminder that the bill and its provisions are overwhelmingly disliked by the public.

If the bill passes, millions of Americans will lose health care that they currently receive via Medicaid, which was established in 1965 by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson under his “Great Society” plan.

On Monday, Fox News published the details of the upcoming campaign after being given a “first on Fox” preview by the National Republican Congressional Committee. Fox describes the campaign as “aggressive messaging” by the party.

“Out of touch House Democrats lit the fire of inflation and tried to slap Americans with the biggest tax hike in decades, all to fund their radical agenda. Voters won’t forget this betrayal—not now, not next November,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox.

But the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic counterpart to the NRCC, sounded less than impressed.

"It's no wonder the so-called moderate House Republicans continue to lie about their Tax Scam: the Big, Ugly Bill is wildly unpopular with the American public and they know their vote for it will lose them their majority next year,” DCCC spokesperson Justin Chermol told the outlet.

And the data backs up Chermol’s assertion.

In a KFF Health poll released June 17, 64 percent of adults had an unfavorable view of the bill. Even more dire for the GOP, while a majority of Republicans—particularly those identifying themselves as MAGA voters—back the bill, support has fallen. For instance, when MAGA voters were told that the bill would cut funding for local hospitals, support dropped 20 percentage points.

Perhaps not surprisingly, even with the support of Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, the bill barely made it through the GOP-led House, passing 215-214 on May 22 in the wee hours of the morning. No Democrats voted for the bill, and two Republicans voted against it while another voted “present.”

Soon after, as the bill made its way toward the Senate, Republicans who voted for it began expressing regrets about some of the contents. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a prominent conspiracy-peddling MAGA voice, said she opposed a provision of the bill that banned regulation of artificial intelligence.

Republicans have mostly avoided direct contact with voters at town halls, hoping to avoid the backlash from the public on unpopular initiatives like cuts made by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, but two Republicans did host events after voting for the Trump bill. That was a mistake.

Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa was drowned out by boos in her mostly Republican district after she said she was “proud” to vote for the legislation, and one constituent even called her a “fraud.” Rep. Mike Flood of Nebraska had a similarly hostile crowd at an event after the bill passed.

The NRCC’s decision to run to Fox for a puff piece about their shiny new ad campaign makes more sense in this context. Before it’s even become law, the public is opposed to the bill and passage in the Senate is not guaranteed.

Fox is simply one of the few media outlets that wouldn’t roll over laughing at the NRCC’s proposition that Democrats would face voter ire for siding with the public and opposing Trump’s “big, beautiful” mess.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Margie Whines That Her Life In Congress Is 'Miserable' -- And Costs Too Much

Mad Margie Is Sorry She Voted For Trump's Budget Bill

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, previously celebrated the House's passage of President Donald Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill.” But now she claims that she would have voted against it—had she actually read it.

In a post on X, Greene explained that she didn’t know that the bill includes a provision blocking states from regulating artificial intelligence, and had she known, she would have voted against the Medicaid-slashing legislation that passed by a one-vote margin.

"Full transparency, I did not know about this section on pages 278-279 of the OBBB that strips states of the right to make laws or regulate AI for 10 years. I am adamantly OPPOSED to this and it is a violation of state rights and I would have voted NO if I had known this was in there,” she wrote.

Greene had been championing the dogshit legislation that slashes health care and food stamps while exploding the deficit with tax cuts for the rich. And after it passed the House ahead of Memorial Day, she cheered.

"We passed President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill out of the House this morning and now it’s on its way to the Senate!!" Greene wrote on X, celebrating the fact that the legislation would block Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood.

But now she claims that she didn't read the full bill, the text of which was released late at night and just a few hours before the House voted on it.

But Greene isn't the only Republican to admit to having no idea what she voted for.

Rep. Mike Flood of Nebraska said he didn't know that the bill includes a provision that would make it more difficult for federal judges to enforce contempt rulings—a last-minute addition from sycophantic lawmakers who want to protect Dear Leader from being held accountable for ignoring court orders.

“This provision was unknown to me when I voted for the bill,” Flood said during a town hall, where he was mercilessly booed by his constituents who were angry that he voted in favor of the bill.

As backlash mounts against the bill, it’s possible that we’ll see other GOP lawmakers express remorse for voting in support of legislation that will kick millions of people off of their health insurance and food assistance while potentially taking down the U.S. economy.

It seems that even Republicans understand how much of a political loser the bill is, as GOP lawmakers are straight up lying about its Medicaid cuts to try to avoid voter backlash, which has exploded at town halls across the country.

The White House even released a fact sheet assuring Americans that people won’t “literally die” because of the bill.

If you have to explain to people that you don’t think they’ll die from your signature legislation’s health care cuts, it’s safe to say that you’re not in a great place politically.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Elon musk

Behind Elon Musk's Rift With His Presidential 'Buddy'

Elon Musk may have thought that dropping more than $250 million into Trump's reelection campaign would have bought permanent affection from the president. No, it was a show of obeisance that labeled Musk as one to be played. Besides, in Trump's dog-eat-dog view of wealth, the far-richer Musk may have needed cutting down to size.

Trump knows about human nature. Musk, for all his awesome faculties, does not. Like Heracles brought down by trusting a scheming wife, Musk suffered the fatal flaw of assuming that Trump was truly on his side.

At first it looked like Musk's hopes would be met. Stock of the tech mogul's crown jewel Tesla soared on the belief that Trump would grandly reward his enterprises. It's now down 29 percent from its December high.

Musk didn't get that his union with Trump would repel Tesla buyers. They tend to be the better educated and environmentally aware. Trump proceeded to drive a stake in the U.S. electric vehicle market that Musk had launched. Trump's toxic comments about Europe, made worse by his tariff machinations, deep-sixed Tesla sales there.

Did Musk think he was being rewarded with a big government job as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE? What Trump did was make Musk the face of unpopular budget cuts.

And so, while Trump was out front vowing not to touch Medicaid, Musk's team found large sums to chop from the program. When the Republican House tax and spending bill cut about $880 billion over 10 years from the program, Trump warmly applauded.

Last Friday, Trump held a bon-voyage press conference for Musk in the Oval Office. Trump patted Musk on the head as he left DOGE to save his wounded businesses. The enduring visual was of an unsmiling Musk with a black eye caused by who-knows-what.

The very next day, Trump delivered more disrespect by announcing the withdrawal of his nomination of Musk's pick to head NASA, his pal Jared Isaacman. As an explanation, Trump cited Isaacman's "prior associations," that is, his contributions to Democratic campaigns.

Musk's enthusiastic endorsement apparently no longer counted for much. Perhaps realizing that he had once again been dissed, Musk "bravely" posted a contrary view on his X website: "It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted" as Isaacman.

There's something sad about that. It may be hard to summon tears for the world's richest man, a guy who coldly backed big reductions in life-saving humanitarian aid. But one must also account for his inability to guess how others would react, a genuine handicap that prevented Musk from accurately sizing up Trump. He simply couldn't imagine how the public would respond to DOGE's more savage cuts.

Musk says that he was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a condition tied to difficulty understanding social cues and unwritten social rules. We can well believe it. He suffered at the hands of an abusive father. Bullied in school, he was sent to a hospital after a group of boys pushed him down a staircase.

As Musk returns to his limping businesses, the Tesla board seems unsure what to pay him. Investors had become highly irritated by Musk's disappearance into MAGA land. As pay consultant Alan Johnson put it, the board must require that Musk start "to run it like a real company."

It's hard to see how Tesla can recover from its founder's toxic links with Trump and fascistic movements in Europe. As for SpaceX, foreign governments are already canceling contracts.

As he sent Musk into the sunset, Trump clearly wanted to keep the door open for more play. "He's going to be back and forth, I think."

Feeling sorry for Musk is not impossible.

Froma Harrop is an award winning journalist who covers politics, economics and culture.She has worked on the Reuters business desk, edited economics reports for The New York Times News Service and served on the Providence Journal editorial board.

Reprinted with permission from Creators.

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