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The MAGA right—which is basically the entire Republican Party now, as well as every voter within it—just loves to make a boogeyman out of socialism. The word has almost no meaning anymore, because it’s been used to describe just about anything MAGA folks don’t like and/or understand.
Now, I’m no socialist. I’m a free-market Democrat who loves capitalism. But part of not being a socialist is…rejecting socialism. And that’s not at all what Senate Republicans did when they ended their vote-a-rama marathon on Donald Trump's “big ugly bill.” No, they’re perfectly fine with socialism for the rich, and they proved that by pushing through this obscene bill.
Republicans could only afford to lose three members, and that’s exactly what they got—North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, and Maine Senator Susan Collins all voted no. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski was a yes, even though she openly admitted it was a bad bill that would screw people in other states…but she got what she wanted for her state.
Let’s not just blame Murkowski, however. The whole Republican Party is a Trump-adoring cult, and if you’re a Republican who wants a shot at keeping your cushy job, you have to vote the way Trump wants you to vote. Now the bill is back in the House’s hands, and even though it could be a really close vote, I expect the House to pass it sometime during this holiday-shortened week. What a way to celebrate our independence.
So let’s be clear-eyed about this big ugly bill. It does three things:
It gives huge tax breaks to super-wealthy Americans.
It dramatically cuts the social safety net—healthcare, food assistance, and other benefits—to tens of millions of lower-income Americans.
And it adds trillions and trillions to the national debt.
That's it. That's what this bill does.
It gives generous help to the wealthiest Americans by cutting services to the most needy among us and saddling our kids and grandkids with another $5 trillion in debt. Hell, if we’re gonna have socialism, I’d at least prefer that it benefits people who need help. This does the exact opposite. So it’s a bad bill. A very bad bill indeed. And most of the Republicans who voted for it know that too. But they voted for it because they can't do what they really want to do, and they can't say what they really want to say. Because that’s what it’s like being in a cult.
Red Badge of Courage?
There’s no better proof than Tillis himself. The minute Thom Tillis came out against the big ugly bill, dear leader came out against Thom Tillis. Tillis was running for reelection in North Carolina next year. North Carolina is a swing state, a purple state, a really important state. Hence, Trump lashed out and called for a primary challenge. So now Tillis isn’t running for reelection, because his response to Trump’s threat was to announce that he’s out.
That’s a little bit of political courage right there. And every time we see even a small green shoot of mostly non-existent political courage from Republicans, we’ve got to cheer it on, right? And it takes some courage in this era to do what Tillis did—to say you're going to do the right thing even though you know it's going to cost you politically. Tillis knows this is a horrible bill. He knows it’s going to hurt his voters in North Carolina. He knows it’s going to decimate rural hospitals. He knows it’s going to cut Medicaid for 10 to 15 million Americans.
So he voted against it, fully aware it might end his career. And it has. Because he knows he can’t win a Republican primary if Trump is against him.
But what’s most revealing is what Tillis said next: now that he’s not seeking reelection, he finally has the “freedom to call balls and strikes”—to vote his conscience. Umm…what? Isn’t that your job already as a Member of Congress? You’re supposed to speak the truth and vote on principle regardless of political consequences.
Tillis just said out loud what we all suspect: most politicians don’t do the right thing unless it’s politically safe. His announcement was less a retirement notice than an admission of how broken our politics really is.
What’s Old Is Blue Again
This moment is so reminiscent of the Obamacare era. When Democrats passed the Affordable Care Act back in 2009, they knew it would hurt them politically—and it did. That vote led to the massive Republican wave of 2010, the rise of the Tea Party, and people like me getting elected to Congress.
But here’s the key difference: Democrats back then believed in what they were doing. Even if you disagreed with them, as I did at the time, they genuinely believed Obamacare was the right thing for the country. They were trying to help people, not hurt them.
Today, Republicans are lining up to pass a big ugly bill that gives massive tax cuts to the wealthy, slashes healthcare and food aid for the poor, and adds trillions to the national debt. The difference? Most Republicans know it’s a bad bill. They know it will hurt them politically—and they’re doing it anyway, even though they don’t believe in it.
It’s like watching them walk off a plank. They may lose the House, the Senate, even their own seats—and they’re doing it for a bill they don’t even like.
And let’s be honest: this should finally kill the idea that Republicans care about the debt. MAGA doesn’t. Trump certainly doesn’t—he added more to the debt in four years than any president in history. He’s the self-proclaimed “King of Debt.” I came from the Tea Party; we did care about the national debt. But those days are long gone.
Anyone who supports the big ugly bill can’t claim to care about the debt. This vote proves it once and for all.
Since this is a holiday week, all content is free to all readers! My team and I are taking some downtime in order to spend some extra time with our families. Here’s what to expect this week…
In Today’s Issue
The Social Spotlight: Where the Cuts Are Hidden in Trump’s Big Ugly Bill
This Week
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Trump’s Big Ugly Bill: Where the Cuts Are Hidden
Medicaid
If you’re on Medicaid, or someone in your family relies on it to pay for doctor visits, prescriptions, or nursing care, this bill will make qualifying for coverage—and staying covered—a challenge. It adds strict work rules, more paperwork, and red tape to make it harder to qualify. Millions of people will lose their coverage because of it.
SNAP/Food Stamps
If you ever needed help putting food on the table, or if your kids’ friends at school rely on free lunches, this bill cuts billions from food assistance. It will force people to jump through more hoops just to get basic groceries. Some folks will go hungry.
Medicare
This bill adds to the national debt in a way that triggers automatic cuts to Medicare down the road. That means when you retire, you could end up paying more out of pocket—or even losing benefits you paid into your whole life.
Who benefits?
The uber rich and big corporations get huge tax breaks, while working people face higher costs and more red tape to keep basic healthcare and food benefits.
Bottom Line
Bad for working folks who pay taxes, work hard, and just want to take care of their families without worrying about losing healthcare or skipping meals to pay the bills.
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