“Big And Beautiful” House Bill Of Donald Trump

Government Opens, But Health Care Crisis Remains!

Ronald 5 Comments

The Federal Government Shutdown is over, but the crisis over health care for millions of Americans remains, and time is running short to insure that the American people have access to health care, no matter what their station in life.

For 15 years, Republicans have been challenging and condemning the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare, even though polls show massive numbers supporting the ACA, although not as high when Barack Obama’s name is mentioned, which demonstrates pure racism.

We are in a dangerous time, with Donald Trump having no concern about the harm that is being visited by the “Big and Beautiful Bill”, that gives unjustified massive tax cuts to billionaires and corporations, at the expense of Americans who will be unable to protect their health, due to the outrageous increases in insurance premiums now being offered for 2026.

We have to hope for some kind of miracle so that this travesty is reversed!

Totally Disillusioned By Lisa Murkowski, Who Caved In And Caused Budget Bill To Pass Senate! :(

Ronald 12 Comments

This author and blogger is fully aware of the pressures brought on by the feeling of “party loyalty”, as that is the nature of politics.

But the idea that Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has often demonstrated a sense of independence and sincere conviction, would allow herself to vote for the Trump “Big And Beautiful” Budget bill, just because a few details favored her home state, is a sign of the true disaster the nation is facing in 2025 from Trump authoritarianism.

Murkowski made it clear she did not like the details of the bill in broad terms, so why did she lower herself to gain an image of being weak, unprincipled, and afraid of Trump?

If we cannot count on even Lisa Murkowski, the “last great hope” of mainstream Republicanism in the past ten years, to show courage and determination, then it leaves us with a feeling of hopelessness!

After all, her colleague, Susan Collins of Maine, who sometimes shows weakness and indecisiveness, came through in opposing this bill, so why could not the two women, who generally represent the little bit of decency left in the national Republican Party in Congress, team together and show they are jointly “profiles in courage”?

The hope is that the House of Representatives will reject the Senate bill, and will change it dramatically, and maybe then, Murkowski can join Collins and a few others, and stop this disgraceful, outrageous legislation dead in its tracks, with the help of a few House members, most notably Don Bacon of Nebraska, who is not running for reelection, and represents one of a few House districts won by Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, alongside Bacon’s victories.

Are There Enough GOP Votes To Kill “Big And Beautiful Bill” Attack On Medicaid?

Ronald 19 Comments

It is still possible that a few Republican Senators and or Republican House members could kill the “Big and Beautiful Bill” of Donald Trump, and in the process, save Medicaid!

ALready, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul have made it clear that they will not support the legislation, Tillis because of the Medicaid cuts that would affect so many North Carolinians, and Paul, because he does not want to add trillions to the National Debt, already 36 Trillion!

But what about Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and Maine Senator Susan Collins, who have both expressed dismay at the Medicaid cuts, that would hurt so many of their constituents?

And also, similar thoughts have been expressed by Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, and also, to some extent, Kansas Senator Jerry Moran.

In the House of Representatives, with Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon deciding not to run again for his Omaha seat, and already seen as the most moderate, centrist Republican who might refuse to support such legislation, since his seat was won by Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024, there could be another vote.

California Congressman David Valadao has also spoken out against Medicaid cuts, and is one of two Republican Congressmen to have voted to impeach Donald Trump in the second impeachment effort following the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrection.

Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie and Ohio Congressman Warren Davidson haver voted against the House bill already, and New York Congressman Nick LaLota, Maryland Congressman Andy Harris, and Texas Congressman Chip Roy all have different reservations.

Also, the members of the Republican House Freedom Caucus are not guaranteed in any sense to support the complicated legislation.

This horror of a bill will do such heavy damage to the American people at large, while the corporations and Billionaires will gain major tax cuts that will add many trillions to the national debt.

It is a repudiation of much of the mid 20th century “Great Society” of President Lyndon B. Johnson, a totally horrendous attack on common decency and compassion for those among us less fortunate!

Six Decades Ago, LBJ Accomplishment For Independence Day, Contrasted With Donald Trump In 2025! :(

Ronald 21 Comments

Six decades ago, right as the Independence Day celebrations were about to take place, the Democratic controlled US Congress passed the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, bringing about the greatest period of civil rights reforms, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was signed in August.

President Lyndon B. Johnson presided over the massive amount of political, social, and economic reforms known as “The Great Society”, which also included the Immigration and Nationality Act of October 1965, and the passage of Medicare in 1965, Medicaid in 1966, and the Food Stamp Act (SNAP) in 1964.

That period of time saw great hope and optimism that the nation had moved in the proper direction toward true justice, progress, and freedom.

Sadly, now, after six decades, we are witnessing a massive backtracking of civil rights, immigration reforms, and social and economic reforms, with the present move by Donald Trump and the Republican Party to reverse all of the great reforms of “The Great Society”, with their “Big and Beautiful” bill, that seems ready to promote massive cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Food Stamps (SNAP), all major moments of the Presidency of LBJ.

This is a time of great feelings of betrayal and sadness over what has changed from the optimistic and expansive times of the federal government back in the 1960s!

Elizabeth MacDonough, Senate Parliamentarian, A Light In The Darkness!

Ronald 7 Comments

Elizabeth MacDonough has been the nonpartisan Senate Parliamentarian for the past 13 years since 2012.

She has a high level of respect and regard by most members of the Senate, and has been seen as the “guardian” of Senate rules, who does what is best for the Senate and its reputation. This is true even when some disgraceful Senators, like presently Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, have called for her to be fired for refusing to back all of the demands of Donald Trump.

She has presided over periods of Democratic and of Republican party majorities, and been part of the institutional history of the upper chamber in a very distinguished manner.

MacDonough has enforced the so called “Byrd Rule”, named after the late Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, which allows elimination of “extraneous” proposals that interfere with reconciliation of provisions of legislation, with 60 votes needed to overrule the Senate Parliamentarian, a high barrier.

It seems likely that Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota will not listen to a few Senators who want her fired, as she is well respected, and Thune is reluctant to interfere with her nonpartisan approach to Senate rules.

Already, with North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, opposed to aspects of the House bill, it is possible that the Trump “Big And Beautiful” bill might fail to get past the Senate, if on final passage, other Senators, such as Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Josh Hawley of Missouri, vote to reject the legislation as it is constituted right now, particularly regarding Medicaid cuts.

US Army Military Parade For Trump’s Birthday Totally Uncalled For, While Veterans Benefits Are Being Cut!

Ronald 7 Comments

The US Army 250th Anniversary Grand Military Parade and Celebration on Armed Forces Day, June 14, which is also Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, will cost an estimated $45 million, and deploy thousands of troops and tanks, reminiscent of an authoritarian dictator’s parade, as for Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin. Normally, such a parade would not be so elaborate and costly.

It is an unnecessary expense, totally uncalled for, and yet another sign of the danger Donald Trump repesents, and it will do great harm to the streets of Washington DC, along with shutting down all air traffic into Reagan National Airport for the entire day.

It is ironic that Trump is supporting this, since he was a draft dodger and used false claims of “bone spurs” to avoid any military service, and his own sons have avoided such military commitment on their own.

And this is a President who ridiculed Senator John McCain for having been a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and called those who served and died for the nation as “suckers” and “losers” when in Normandy, France to commemorate D Day while he was in office for his first term.

No earlier President ever called for or advocated a military parade to salute a President, and Dwight D. Eisenhower specifically spoke out against such a concept, even though he had been a general during World War II.

THe waste of government resources, and glorification of Trump is a total outrage.

Meanwhile, Veterans Benefits are being cut in the “Big And Beautiful” legislation being promoted for passage in Congress.

Massive Suffering And Death Promoted By Evil Donald Trump, Who Has No Conscience!

Ronald 37 Comments

Anyone, except the most uncaring individuals, can fail to see how Donald Trump is promoting massive suffering and death, and has total evil and cruelty as his mantra, and no sense of morality, ethics, compassion, empathy, or conscience.

But the House Republicans have shown willingness to go along with this horrendous bill that would cut millions of Americans off SNAP (Food Stamps) and Medicaid, and also threaten major cuts in Medicare.

Republicans have not spoken up on the wiping out of USAID (US Agency for International Development), which has saved millions of people overseas who have varying diseases and illnesses. This includes the elimination of PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Program For Aids Relief), President George W. Bush’s major contribution in office, which has saved 26 million lives in Africa.

But Republicans have not been willing to speak up on the mass deportation of immigrants, most of whom are not criminals, as Stephen Miller, Thomas Homan, and Kristi Noem continue their heartless, cruel, inhumane quest to remove people at the rate of 3,000 per day, without any ethical or moral qualms.

The damage and harm being visited by an oppressive, Gestapo type Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has its agents wearing masks, as if this is Nazi Germany revived, is horrifying!

The shock that Elon Musk, as he leaves the government, has condemned the “Big and Beautiful” bill gives hope that the Senate will reject the legislation, but at this point, there is no way to step in and stop the executive abuse of power by Donald Trump and his authoritarian Fascist supporters against millions of immigrants, most who have broken no laws other than entering without authorization into America, but with the desire for a better life!