At this point, what more can be said about the orange stain on our country that is Donald J. Trump? From his blatant racism and misogyny, to his constant grifting and obvious lies, it’s become all too clear that he has absolutely no intention of putting any American first except for his billionaire cronies. This has gone far beyond the point of surrealism and has plunged straightforward into madness. His greed and cruelty are matched only by his desire to be a dictator, much like his favorite person, Vladimir Putin. We’re over the rainbow now folks.
As if his policies weren’t bad enough, Donnie has seen fit to bring forth his “Big Beautiful Bill.” In Trump’s own words, “I have the right to do whatever I want.” This bill gives him that ability by using your tax dollars. Included in the bill is censorship, cruelty, control, and collapse, all wrapped up in the guise of patriotism. Make no mistake, Trump and his MAGA Republicans are coming for everything you hold dear.
The bill narrowly passed the House of Representatives. They couldn’t even do this with any kind of transparency, as the Republican majority forced a vote in the middle of the night when the presence of any media would be at its lowest. The bill, clocking in at over 1,000 pages, was not read in its entirety by a vast number of reps. Majorie Taylor Greene (another congresswoman divorced from reality), admitted she hadn’t read large parts of the bill. When she was informed that the bill included a passage that prevented states from regulating AI for ten years, she said she would not have voted for the bill if she had read that. So basically what happened with the Republican party, is that Trump told them to vote for it and they all bowed obediently and kissed the ring.
Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of this bill, shall we?
Sec. 80307 slashes climate resilience and FEMA funds. In other words, when there’s a tornado or hurricane and your state is in shambles, you’re on your own.
Sec. 44141, 44242, and 44131 puts into place Medicaid work requirements and limits, blue state penalties, and no back pay. If you got sick before you got coverage, too bad.
Sec. 44141, 44122, 44131, and 44125 add work requirements to Medicaid and Medicare which will eliminate many seniors. Blue states will lose funding for expanding coverage. Gender-affirming care will be banned for veterans and retroactive coverage is eliminated. Veterans will have longer wait times, fewer providers and reduced support for mental health, PTSD, and service-related conditions.
Sec. 44110 and 44125 cuts all care for undocumented people and bans gender affirming care.
Sec. 10008 and 10012 increases Trump’s tariffs and cuts SNAP services.
Sec. 50002 and 50003 covers budget austerity and deregulation. Access to medicine, checks and mail will be affected.
Sec. 90004 – 90006 covers civil service purge and pension gutting.
Sec. 30061 institutes DEI bans. Education turns into indoctrination and the road to college narrows. Federal anti-woke legislation is put into play. This is where books will be taken out of libraries and history will be whitewashed.
Sec. 42108 – 42301 repeals environmental safeguards and the Clean Air Act.
Sec. 20001 covers Indo-Pacific military escalation.
Sec 44125 strips healthcare and protections for the LGBTQ+ community.
Trump’s bill eliminates the tanning bed tax, free IRS filing, and expands MAGA-branded savings accounts while cutting food, healthcare, and energy support for working families. There will be a market panic from deregulation. The bill also slashes child tax credits and funding for child care.
Sec. 41009, 80301 – 80309 guts historic preservation, climate justice, national park maintenance, and local community block grants.
Sec. 90004 – 90006 guts civil service protections and allows mass firings.
Sec. 44001 blocks states from regulating AI, education tech or primary standards for 10 years. (Sorry MTG, you should have done your job and read the bill.)
Sec. 50002, 50003, 80121 guts the CFPB, PCAOB, and court oversight of fossil fuel permits.
Sec. 44131 penalizes states that expanded Medicaid. This will mostly affect blue states.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, people. Trump has no problem ignoring the rulings made by the courts and he certainly has no conscience to guide him. Since taking office, he has not fulfilled one single, solitary promise that he made on the campaign trail. The Ukraine war still rages. Inflation has not been reduced, and with the advent of his tariffs, prices will only get higher. Face it people, he’s a liar and a fraud and we allowed this to happen.
Now is the time to stand up and make your voice heard. Call your senators consistently at (202) 2243121. Things are going to get much worse before they get better, but if we fight back now, we’ve at least got a chance. Let’s all pray it’s not too late.
Illustration by Olivia Lunger