On Friday, the 4th of July, President Trump signed into law the BBB (Big Beautiful Bill). He celebrated it and exclaimed, “It has something for everyone” and “Everyone is happy about it”.
I suggest that a better response is repentance and lament. The BBB was quite big, but definitely not beautiful. And most definitely, not everyone one was happy about it.
- We the People Opposed the BBB
Although the Senate was evenly divided on the bill (50/50), and the House approved it by a slim 218/214 vote, the U.S. people were (and are) clearly against it. I looked at more than a dozen national polls, and in each poll, the disapproval rate was significantly greater than the approval. For example, “by a 21-point margin, voters questioned in the most recent Fox News national poll opposed the federal budget legislation (38% favored vs. 59% opposed). The bill was also underwater in national surveys conducted this month by the Washington Post (minus 19 points), Pew Research (minus 20 points) and Quinnipiac University (minus 26 points).” So, why did so many of our representatives in DC vote against the wishes of their constituents? They were bribed or bullied. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) held the decisive vote in the Senate. She was against the bill, but then the GOP leadership carved out special provisions for Alaska if she would vote in favor. In the end, she voted for the bill although it would hurt the other 49 states. In the House, there were a dozen Republican fiscal hawks who opposed the BBB because it would cause a $3.35 trillion increase in the federal debt. They were bullied with the threat they would be “primaried” in the 2026 midterm election by well-funded PACs if they voted against the BBB. These fiscal hawks “caved” and somehow “forgot” their fiscal integrity.
- The BBB will Cause More Harm than Good
There are a few items in the BBB that I would have voted for (such as removing taxes from tip income). But these items pale in significance to those who will suffer tremendously due to the bill. Almost 12 million citizens will lose their health insurance because of the cuts to Medicaid. As a result, it is estimated that 51,000 people will die prematurely each year due to these cuts. Hundreds of rural hospitals and clinics will close due to the Medicaid cuts.
Our federal debt will increase by about $3.35 trillion. The Medicare and Medicaid cuts could have been avoided if the tax breaks for the very wealthy had not been extended.
- “Woe to Those Who Call Evil Good, and Good Evil”
These words were spoken by the prophet Isaiah over two thousand years ago… but are still quite important today. Politicians of all persuasions tend to exaggerate the goodness of their positions and hide the negative aspects. This should cause all of us to dig deeper, to read the ideas and arguments of those we don’t like, and to ask the tough questions. Let’s commit ourselves to examine all the important issues and follow the truth wherever it leads…even if it leads to repentance.
Lindy Scott 