Thom Tillis North Carolina

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

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!

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

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 Senate Should NOT Give Trump Recess Appointments For Cabinet Choices!

Donald Trump is clearly attempting to grab power from the US Senate in his move to make recess appointments to his Cabinet, bypassing the power of the Senate “to advise and consent”.

The idea of recess appointments has always been rarely utilized, and for Trump to just go ahead and pick his advisers, and ignore the Senate, is alarming.

One has to hope that enough Republicans are willing to challenge Trump, and prevent what would be the gaining of a new absolute power of Trump, and potentially, future Presidents, making the Senate a weakened legislative body.

There may be 53 Republican Senators, but if four of them resist Trump, they, hopefully, could stop this dangerous power grab.

Potential such Senators would likely include:

Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Senator Susan Collins of Maine
Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
Senaator Thom Tillis of North Carolina
Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma

If the Senate allows Trump to do what he wants, and allows Billionaire Elon Musk to have a major power over Trump policies as well, without any resistance, it will be a massive step toward what Trump had called “Dictatorship on Day One”!

This is a battle for survival of American democracy, and no patriotic American can sit on the sidelines, and they must pressure the Senate and others on Capitol Hill to fight and resist in every way possible!