How MAGA's Billionaire 'Smash and Grab' got even deadlier

MAGA's monstrous looting of the poor in the form of a "reconciliation" budget that only needs 50 votes in the Senate keeps getting worse.

Don't believe me.

Believe Donald Trump's pollster:

Jim McLaughlin, one of President Donald Trump’s top pollsters, said Hill Republicans should nix Senate Republicans’ deeper Medicaid cuts in the megabill or risk deep backlash from voters.

And believe Republican US Senator Thom Tillis, who decided to retire rather than lie about the massive Medicaid cuts in this bill:

House Republicans "reluctantly" passed the president's billionaire giveaway, paid for with the blood of the poor, after narrowing the unconscionable cuts to Medicaid in the bill down to a point they hoped would be defensible.

In other words, they voted for this massive payout to the richest (which is designed to wreck all of the progress of the 21st century when it comes to expanding health insurance, fighting climate destruction, and building a massive secret police state), hoping it might just cost them their seats.

But Senate Republicans want it to cost them their careers.

Why press the boot down on the neck of the poor harder?

Senate Republicans, unlike House Republicans, have little fear of losing their chamber. The map is ever in their favor, while the House GOP lost seats as a GOP president won the popular vote, two things that rarely happen.

But with a trifecta, the donors demand their spoils. And these spoils are reviled among Americans who know what's in this bill, which, honestly, isn't many people.

So, in a situation where you need 50 votes for a repulsive bill and only have three votes to lose, every Senator a king.

For Lisa Murkowski, that means the "Alaska Gold Rush," which involves selling out tens of millions for 150 or so whalers and exemptions from some of the worst cruelties of the bill, just for Alaskans (and Hawaiians, for procedural reasons).

And for the worst of the Senate GOP, it means it's time to sacrifice the poor (more).

The Hill reports:

The vote to proceed to the sprawling budget reconciliation package remained open on the Senate floor for more than three and a half hours, stuck for a long time at 47 yes’s and 50 no’s.

For much of that time, the four conservatives — Johnson, Scott, Lee and Lummis — huddled off the Senate floor to negotiate a way to add new language to the bill to further cut federal Medicaid spending.

They want the cuts to be so indefensible, the greed of the rich to be so audacious, that anyone in a state where Fox News is the state bird will live should live with the shame of voting for this murder budget forever.

That creates a bit of a bind!

We are here to be both angry and... hopeful. So I will say, "There's a small chance we can stop this bill... in the House!"

And even if we don't, there's a huge chance we can let people know how sadistic and evil this bill is by the time Trump signs it, which could be in a week.

So, yes, call your Senators and your House Rep.

Oppose H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (UPDATED 6/28) - Cloture Invoked - Final Senate Vote Early Next Week ⭑ 5 Calls

Updates June 28, 2025: The Senate has voted 51-49 to invoke cloture for H.R. 1. The final Senate vote to pass the legislation is expected by early …

5 Calls

But what else can we do?

Let's scare some vulnerable Californian House Republicans!

Save Medicaid NOW - Final Push Phonebanks to Republican Congressmembers · Mobilize

The Republican controlled Congress and Senate are voting on budgets that will decimate Medicaid and millions of Californians will lose their healthcare - just so they can give more tax breaks to their wealthy and well-connected donors and supporters. Even people who have private insurance will feel the impact of these devastating cuts – as hospitals and nursing homes close, emergency rooms become more crowded, and the price of health care goes up. We are down to the final days with the Senate about to take a floor vote and then it will move to a final vote in Congress. We are moving back to calling two of the targeted Republican Congressmembers - Valadao and Kim. We’ll be asking their constituents to call their offices and leave a message to vote AGAINST cuts to Medicaid! We’ll be using a dialer system to make the calls so you’ll need to use a computer or laptop and have internet access. We’ll do a short training at the beginning of each shift.

Mobilize

This tip comes from Joe Katz of Rogan's List, which has laid out all of Monday's opportunities to make calls:

• 5PM ET with Medicaid Defenders, sign up here
• 6PM-8PM ET with MoveOn, sign up here
• 7PM-10:15PM ET with Grassroots Democrats HQ and Chop Wood, Carry Water, sign up here

You want it darker?

Here are some relevant data points on the bill from some great experts to follow on Bluesky.

In TikTok form:

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