Senator Merkley is fillibustering

 Started 14 hours ago.  Still going.  Live stream.

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) is using a lengthy filibuster speech to criticize President Donald Trump as Senate Democrats utilize the procedural tool to block passage of a GOP-backed measure to open the government.

“I’m holding the Senate floor to protest Trump’s grave threats to democracy. We cannot pretend this is normal,” he said in a post on X.

  Washington Examiner

OK, Examiner. It's not to keep the government from opening. It's to keep the Big Beautiful Bill to destroy what's left of America from coming to a vote.

    

The Big Beautiful Bill didn't touch Social Security?

 

That's equal to an $18,000 annual benefit cut for a dual-earning couple who both retire in 2033.

[...]

If policymakers don't stop this from happening, it would at least double the poverty rate of America's seniors, per several estimates.

They also might experience reduced healthcare access, per the analysis, due to an 11% cut in Medicare hospital payments.

The percentages would grow over time, as the population ages and fewer young Americans are paying into the system.

[...]

The tax cuts in the big bill and the increase in the deduction for seniors, specifically, would reduce Social Security's incoming tax revenue — and speed up depletion by about a year, per the CRFB.

  Axios

And when they destroy the economy through deportations and bankruptcies, there will be even fewer people paying into SSA.

[T]he last time the trust fund headed to a shortfall in the 1980s, Congress didn't act until the last minute when it raised the retirement age and started taxing benefits.

[...]

Most policy wonks and Social Security advocates believe that it's highly unlikely that Congress would sit back and watch benefits get cut like this.

Ha!

UPDATE 07/30/2025:   The confusion is part of the package.

What's in the Big Beautiful Bill for professional students?

President Donald Trump’s sweeping “big, beautiful” tax and spending bill, signed into law earlier this month, imposes strict new caps on federal student loans, capping borrowing for professional schools at $50,000 per year. The measure particularly affects medical students, whose tuition often exceeds $300,000 over four years.

[...]

Many members of the medical community say the measures will send shock waves through a system already laden with economic barriers, discouraging low-income students from pursuing a medical degree.

  Chicago Tribune

A feature, not a bug.

Good idea

 

Beware of MAGA.

Hungry in America

 

Despicable GOP

 

And this was his response to the bill...

Of course they did

 Late last night:

Today:

Seems obvious who's morally bankrupt.

They got assurances.  And trinkets.  And flattery.  The art of the deal.

I'm thinking their second coup attempt is going to be successful.  

Midterm Democrats better be shouting about that.  I don't think we're going to arrive at a presidential election.

Joe Biden and liberals.  Mark my words.

This is a problem.

Fast and Furious

Trump has given them a deadline of midnight July 3 to pass the BBB in the House so he can crow on the 4th of July and pretend the fireworks are all for him, and Mike Johnson is holding open the voting because he doesn't have the votes to pass it now.  There will be some serious pressure on Republican holdouts today and tomorrow.

Tell it like it is

 

If your representative is Republican...

 

http://indivisible.org/resource/call-now-tell-your-republican-representative-oppose-trumps-medicaid-slashing-billionaire?source=bluesky

https://www.mobilize.us/moveon/event/796084/?utm_source=indivisible

You can bet Trump will be calling them.

UPDATE 07/03/2025:

Tennessee's Tim Burchett betrays his constituents for signed trinkets and a little flattery.  

"I think once you, you allow Americans to get out and work and, and actually force those to work and get them off the couch, that some of them are on, that are in the illegals and folks that are gaming the system, I think you're going to see that this this country will, will, will bust wide open economically. And I think that's going to be a great thing for this country."

  Raw Story

Actually, most people on Medicaid already are working. Also, "illegals" are not eligible for Medicaid. But he's right, this country is going to bust wide open economically. Just not in the way he means.

Back to the House

 

He doesn't know.  He doesn't care.  He just wants a "win".

The Big Billionaires Bill isn't there just yet

 

FMAP = Federal Medical Assistance Percentage.  It determines how much federal funding for Medicaid and social services states will get and match.

Uh-oh.

He won't deport him.  And casually discussing deporting any American citizen is anathema to the Constitution.  We're outside the Constitution now.  Kind of like when we divorced the dollar from the gold.   Nothing is stable.

And, btw, who is his tailor?  Look at that shoulder - 5 inches of suit beyond where his actual shoulder is.  

Making it obvious Trump and GOP Congress critters don't care whether the public likes it or not.

Additional developments will be updated here.

UPDATE 02:13 pm:  Done.

51-50.  5150 is police code for a situation involving psychotic people.

Tillis, Paul, and Collins (!) voted no.  JD Vance cast the tie breaking vote.

American gulag archipelago.

Big, beautiful lies.

Vote "yay".  Fucking idiot.

Wow.  That's incredible.  Who knew Lisa Murkowski would turn into a weak cunt?

CALL YOUR REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVES IN  THE HOUSE.  Right now, they're more afraid of Trump than you when it comes to keeping their jobs.  Change that.

UPDATE 07/02/2025: