D.C. Memo: In wake of Trump’s big win, Minnesota GOPers downplay Medicaid cuts while Dems decry them

WASHINGTON The drama and stakes could not have been higher here this week as Republicans in Congress used their political muscle to approve President Donald Trump s legislative agenda which would raise the nation s debt ceiling cut deeply into poverty programs and make permanent a massive package of tax breaks The U S House approved the massive budget bill Thursday on a - vote with all Minnesota Democrats voting no and all Minnesota Republicans voting yes Two Republicans Reps Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania voted against the bill but it would have taken four GOP defections to derail it This week s drama began when Trump s One Big Beautiful Bill Act was narrowly approved by the U S Senate Tuesday during a marathon voting session with Vice President JD Vance emerging a - tie after three Republicans joined all Democrats in opposing the ordinance Democrats including Sen Amy Klobuchar D-Minn tried but failed to amend the law which would cut more than trillion from Medicaid other federal wellness care programs and food stamps Klobuchar tried to derail a provision that would shift several of the cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Campaign SNAP the official name for food stamps to the states At present the federal governing body pays of the cost of the benefits Klobuchar also tried to undermine an effort by Republican leaders to win the encouragement of Alaska Republican Sen Lisa Murkowski who had had grave reservations about the bill by exempting Alaska from the proposed cost shift in the SNAP campaign Murkowski who could have killed the massive budget bill was blasted on social media for her vote and for her long explanation of why she flipped to patronage the bill She admitted while we have worked to improve the present bill for Alaska it is not good enough for the rest of our nation and we all know it Then the bill was rushed to the House for final approval in the hopes it could be signed by Trump at a celebratory event on July House Democrats tried to slow a final vote on the bill with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries D-N Y speaking for hours against it on the House floor Majority Whip Tom Emmer R- th District focused on the benefits of the tax breaks saying little of the measure s cuts to Medicaid and other social programs in trying to win inhabitants endorsement for the budget bill which polls evidenced was becoming increasingly unpopular Democrats like RepJeffries who oppose the One Big Beautiful Bill are opposing the largest tax cut in history for workers and middle-income families Emmer posted on X The GOP lawmaker also posted testimonials from Minnesotans who mentioned they would benefit from the tax cuts including a single mother from Lexington who works as a waitress and revealed that keeping all of her tips would help her family buy groceries and pay for her daughter s hockey expenses But under the bill tips would still be subject to Social Assurance taxes and the exemption from federal income taxes would last only three years Meanwhile the tax breaks which would benefit the wealthiest Americans the majority would be permanent costing more than trillion over the next years And the bill s savings from the safety net cuts would not be enough to offset the cost of those tax breaks which are projected to add more than trillion to the federal debt by Emmer also mentioned the measure would eliminate taxes on Social Shield for of America s seniors That s the largest tax break for seniors in American history Emmer posted on X Although Trump campaigned on a promise of ending federal Social Shield taxes the budget bill does no such thing But it would provide a new deduction for seniors reporting less than in income with the deduction phasing out gradually for those above that income threshold While the tax package will benefit upper income and particular middle-income earners the Congressional Budget Office stated the ordinance will raise taxes on the poorest Americans by up to per year The politics of the big beautiful bill Rep Pete Stauber R- th District disclosed the historic ordinance would deliver a new Golden Age for the American people in a comment disclosed after Thursday s vote Stauber praised the measure s largest tax cuts in our nation s history and its rollback of regulations on the oil and gas industry as well as the millions the bill would provide to bolster federal immigration efforts including the completion of a territory line wall and the nation s military Yet the bill s cuts to Medicaid could endanger the fiscal healthcare of rural hospitals and clinics including specific in his Iron Range-based district Democrats have made those cuts to Medicaid and other poverty programs a rallying cry in their opposition to the bill The impact of this bill on the United States is hard to quantify declared Rep Kelly Morrison D- rd District a practicing OB-GYN before she was elected to Congress It will be a national prevention threat because it will make Americans sicker and poorer Morrison on Wednesday joined other white lab coat-wearing members of a newly formed Democratic Doctors Caucus to protest the Medicaid cuts outside House Speaker Mike Johnson s office in the U S Capitol Morrison stated the Medicaid cuts which would be obtained largely through the imposition of new work requirements and other reporting mandates would outcome in the closure of hospitals clinics and nursing homes that are heavily dependent on Medicaid revenue The bill also shifts more of the cost of the initiative which is shared between the federal executive and the states onto states like Minnesota In an emailed announcement Gov Tim Walz accused Emmer and Stauber of voting to tear away vitality care from a quarter million Minnesotans so Trump can give tax cuts to billionaires We will do everything we can to help Minnesotans impacted by their Medicaid cuts but we ll never fully reverse the damage they ve caused Walz announced Rep Ilhan Omar D- th District revealed the bill represented the biggest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich Democrats hope the unpopular measures in the bill will help them win back the U S House in next year s midterm elections But countless of those unpopular provisions including the Medicaid work requirements won t be effective until after Americans go to the polls in November The tax breaks however will be effective promptly One cut to physical condition care that will take effect before the balloting is the end of enhanced subsidies that benefit those who purchase insurance through an Affordable Care Act exchange Enhanced subsidies lowered insurance premiums for policies purchased through MNsure for about Minnesotans The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that about million Americans will lose wellbeing insurance coverage because of the end of the enhanced subsidies In circumstance you missed it -The assassination of state Rep Melissa Hortman and the near-fatal shooting of state Sen John Hoffman has rekindled a debate about political violence Reporter Shadi Bushra has particular facts and stats Minnesota has been derided as a sanctuary state that fails to help federal agents in their quest to deport immigrants but there is a growing number of Minnesota sheriffs who have signed agreements to work with ICE -Skateborders rejoice Brian Arola has a story on new grants that will fund new skate parks Your questions and comments Citing the story of a co-worker from Africa whose brother was arrested for dissent and later executed a reader decried the hardball tactics of federal immigration agents Fear and intimidation is the MO of an authoritarian regime the reader wrote This is exactly the playbook of Trump although he is supposedly oblivious to a large number of of the horrendous actions of his supposed subordinates as his focus is and reliably will be on himself Please keep your comments and any questions coming I ll try my best to respond Please contact me at aradelat 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