I was under the illusion that, with Donald Trump back in charge and the wind at his back, Washington Republicans might actually take off the gloves, say eff-it, and take on the swamp. With the failures inherent in the Big Beautiful Bill, it appears I was wrong. I don’t blame Trump. This abysmal betrayal of the American people was written in the halls of Congress.
The Republicans in Congress talk a good game, but when it comes to actually doing what they say they’re going to do, it turns out they’re really snake oil salesmen. Not that this is new. Remember when they ran on killing Obamacare throughout Obama’s presidency, then bungled it when Trump became president?
We’re now watching that same treachery play itself out in real time, and it involves the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that just passed the House. This monstrosity ostensibly does a number of good things.
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First and foremost, it extends Trump’s 2017 taxes that were set to expire. It also increases spending on border security, and, apparently, it cuts federal support for Planned Parenthood. All of these are good things, but they’re the equivalent of trying to save the Titanic by emptying water over the side one bucket at a time while a thousand gallons of water pour into the hull every second.
What this bill doesn’t do is cut spending or cut the deficit. Indeed, it puts the deficit on overdrive, just as interest rates on government debt seem to be heading upward. The president’s advisor, Stephen Miller (who is one of the smartest guys in Washington), has pushed back by pointing out that spending cuts didn’t balance Reagan’s tax cuts.