Disastrous Budget Bill Threatens to Wreak Havoc
This bill is a disaster. But it’s also not a done deal. We need to act now!
The recent budget bill has sparked widespread criticism due to its draconian cuts and regressive policies, which could have far-reaching consequences for vulnerable populations and the environment.
Talking Points:
Devastating Cuts to Medicaid: The bill proposes nearly a trillion dollars in cuts to Medicaid, the largest cut to the program ever, by a factor of four. This will strip healthcare away from 5% of Americans and exacerbate existing health disparities.
ICE Funding and Mass Incarceration: The bill allocates a larger budget to ICE than many militaries around the world, perpetuating a system of mass incarceration and further militarizing the border.
SNAP Benefits and Food Insecurity: The bill will kick 11.8 million people off SNAP benefits, exacerbating food insecurity and poverty among already vulnerable populations.
Green Energy and Climate Change: Not only does the bill cut funding for green energy, but it also taxes it, threatening to balloon energy costs and eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs. This will have disastrous consequences for the environment and the economy.
Wealth Transfer and Inequality: The bill represents the largest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in US history, further entrenching systemic inequality and poverty.
Deficit and Debt: The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the reconciliation bill will increase the deficit by $3.3 trillion over the next decade, sparking outrage among budget hawks and conservatives.
Opposition and Potential Roadblocks: Despite the bill's passage in the House, there's still a chance to block it in the Senate, where some members have agreed to begin debate without committing to final passage. The House Freedom Caucus has already expressed opposition to the bill, citing its excessive debt and inadequate cuts to green-energy tax credits.
Path Forward: To stop the bill, moderates and vulnerable members in the House can join forces with the Freedom Caucus to either kill the bill or force changes to the package, sending it back to the Senate for further debate.
I’m very pessimistic about this. Republicans seem to have a death wish in pleasing ‘47. I’m expecting all of them to just cave to him and sacrifice themselves to the anger of the midterms.