Since I last wrote to you, the House passed that disgusting bill.
Here’s what’s in it:
-14 million Americans will lose their Medicaid. (And just to be clear: The Congressional Budget Office confirmed that none of these people are undocumented immigrants or committing fraud. These are everyday Americans.)
-11 million people will lose food stamp benefits, including 4 million children.
-$500 billion in cuts to Medicare.
-Major cuts to housing assistance
-The majority of clean energy programs eliminated
-The top 0.1% of earners get an extra $390,000/year in tax cuts.
-If you make under $51,000/year, you’ll lose between $700–$1000/year (the poorer you are, the harder you’re hit.)
-Weird tax breaks for tanning beds and gun silencers, because apparently that’s what this country prioritizes now.
-This bill adds $4 trillion to the federal deficit over 10 years — and many estimates say that number is closer to $10–20+ trillion.
-And in the fine print? A clause that guts the judiciary’s power, making it nearly impossible for federal courts to enforce contempt citations. That’s one of the last tools the courts have to hold the Trump regime accountable — and it’s being quietly stripped away.
One thing that’s gotten very little attention in all the chaos around this “Big Stinky Bill” is just how devastating it is for student loan borrowers.
The bill includes massive cuts to education funding, and buried in the language are provisions that would essentially eliminate Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans. These plans are a lifeline for working class borrowers —and now they’re on the chopping block.
To make it worse, the servicers who are supposed to process IDR applications? They’ve only managed to process 4% of them. Instead of holding the system accountable, Congress is just slashing the entire structure.
I was on one of those plans. My monthly payment was $50. After these changes? It jumped to $545/month. I can’t make the payment. Talk about daily stress and anxiety. I am on some kind of forbearance now. I’ve heard from others whose payments have gone from $900 to $2000. It’s cruel. It’s destabilizing. And it’s happening quietly, while headlines focus on more flashy attacks.
This reconciliation bill has already passed the House. Now it’s headed to the Senate. There’s still a narrow window to make noise, to call, to email, to fight back. Senators need to hear from us before this disaster becomes law.
Meanwhile, Trump just keeps collecting power and perks.
Trump has accepted a $400 million “gift” — a luxury Boeing 747 — from Qatar. That’s not just tacky. That’s a potential violation of the Emoluments clause, bribery laws, a foreign influence threat, and a national security nightmare.
A few days ago, Trump hosted a cryptocurrency party where his supporters had to buy $1 million+ in “Trump meme coins” just to attend. Meme coins are a way for people to buy favors, often anonymously. I don’t know if you saw the video, I love the guy who showed up in a mask that covered his whole head!
And in the midst of all this…
Rep. Shri Thanedar pulled his Articles of Impeachment after pressure from Democratic leadership. They said it wasn’t the right time to force a vote. He says he’ll revise and resubmit them — and I hope he does.
But Rep. Al Green of Texas stepped up and filed H.Res. 415 — his own Article of Impeachment. He has just one article, it is 9 pages long.
There’s been no vote yet. Maybe they’re waiting for the dust to settle on the budget disaster. But I stand with Rep. Green. He hasn’t wavered. He hasn’t folded. And we need more of that.
My petition is still active — and we’ve just passed 3,500 signatures. Thank you to everyone who’s signed, shared, and donated.
I appreciate you keeping up the fight with me!
The Impeach, Convict, Remove T-shirt
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Watch Rep. Green announce H.Res. 415
For context on Rep. Thanedar stepping back
For an in-depth impeachment update see Lights On with Jessica Denson
Sign the petition https://www.change.org/impeach_now