Policy Soup stir the pot ALPHA

Breaking: WASHINGTON (AP) - Supreme Court sides with South Carolina in ruling allowing states to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.

Reposted byTina Smith

Elizabeth Warren@warren.senate.govJun 25(source)

Oh so Senate Republicans ADMIT that the Big Beautiful Bill cuts Medicaid. Their bill effectively defunds rural hospitals. Some simple math: $15 billion does not plug a nearly $1 trillion hole. It doesn't add up! This is a self-inflicted wound and this band-aid won't heal it.

Reposted byTina Smith

Justin Wolfers@justinwolfers.bsky.socialJun 25(source)

When Republican voters learn that the "Big Beautiful Bill" takes from the poor to give to the rich, they oppose it.

Tina Smith@smith.senate.govJun 26(source)

Despicable. Thousands of people rely on Planned Parenthood for cancer screenings and pap smears, STI testing, and so many more essential services. Women should not be penalized for needing reproductive health care.

The Associated Press

@apnews.com

BREAKING: The Supreme Court allows states to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.

Tina Smith@smith.senate.govJun 26(source)

They’re citing a think tank that’s actively gutting child labor laws… I’ll stick to trusting the CBO (which clearly states the big, beautiful bill is a giant pile of bullshit)

It’s free to cite the CBO—which has been dead wrong on every major prediction this century—but Senator Smith’s vote against our bill will cost the average MN family $2,360 per year in additional taxes.
thefga.org/research/scori…

Educating Republicans on their own bill is one of my least favorite parts of my job.

Tweet from Senator Smith responding to Senate GOP claims that the Big Beautiful Bill is the largest tax hike in history on middle class workers: If costs $0.00 to read your hr own bill

BREAKING: Snake oil salesman sells snake oil

White House sends Dr. Oz to calm
Senate nerves
Celebrity surgeon-turned-Trump official Mehmet Oz has emerged as chief salesman for the administration's Medicaid overhaul.

They won’t cut spending for things like Trump’s flights to his golf courses and resorts every weekend, but they’ll trip over themselves to cut spending on things poor people rely on like Medicaid and food stamps.

The news cycle is terrible because I read some horrific headline about what’s going on in the world, and then remember that while that’s happening, Republicans are ALSO taking health care and food stamps away from millions of Americans who need it.

Bill Salisbury, a dean of Minnesota political reporting, dies at 80

I always admired and respected Bill’s keen twinkling eye, his capacity to see the people in the news, and his wisdom over the many years that we shared the same turf at the Minnesota State Capitol. Sending you peace, Bill.

Salisbury, who got his start with the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 1977, had a career spanning decades of political coverage.

Reposted byTina Smith

Senator Chris Van Hollen@vanhollen.senate.govJun 24(source)

"They'll get over it." That's apparently the closing message from Senate Republicans before they vote to take away health care from millions of Americans — all to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Unbelievable.

Screenshot of tweet from reporter Andrew Desiderio: ALSO ... McCONNELL gave a short speech saying “failure is not an option” and added: “I know a lot of us are hearing from people back home about Medicaid. But they’ll get over it.”

!!

Reposted byTina Smith

Senator Chris Van Hollen@vanhollen.senate.govJun 24(source)

You know things are bad when House Republicans — who voted to cut Medicaid by $800B — are worried about Medicaid cuts in the Senate GOP's bill. But make no mistake: both the House and Senate bills kick millions off their health care. We're fighting them with everything we've got.

Sahil Kapur

@sahilkapur.bsky.social

New: 16 House Republicans write a letter rebelling against the Senate bill’s Medicaid spending cuts, which are more aggressive than the House bill. Concerns include provider taxes, state payments, harm to hospitals and “cuts to emergency Medicaid funding.” Led by Rep. David Valadao:

Reposted byTina Smith

Senator Bernie Sanders@sanders.senate.govJun 24(source)

This is oligarchy. This is obscene. While 60% live paycheck to paycheck & kids go hungry, Jeff Bezos, worth $230 billion, goes to Venice on his $500 million yacht for a $20 million wedding & spends $5 million on a ring while his real tax rate is just 1.1%. End this oligarchy.

Jamming this bill through while claiming you’re a ‘fiscal conservative’ is Olympic-level mental gymnastics that I honestly thought most Senators were too old to be capable of.

@IgorBobic: "On a current law basis, we estimate the Senate-proposed tax cuts would increase deficits by $4.2 trillion – nearly $500 billion above the House’s equivalent proposals. That figure would rise to $4.8 trillion if temporary tax cuts in the bill were ultimately made permanent."

Giving the biggest corporations giant tax breaks, paid for by kicking Americans off their health insurance and taking their food assistance, will not make us great. Those tax savings aren’t going to trickle down to workers. They’re going to pay for stock buybacks.

Republicans overturned Roe v. Wade 3 years ago and it's been chaos ever since. Women should not have to plead to get the medical care they need, and they should not be denied life-saving care just because a guy in a suit thinks it's wrong. Abortion bans kill women.

Seems bad. Idea: Scrap the whole thing.

Sahil Kapur

@sahilkapur.bsky.social