Is Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" A Good or Bad Thing?

President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill", designed to implement his domestic agenda, has made it through the House by a single vote. Whether it makes it through the Senate is another matter. It is highly doubtful that it will survive in its current form, especially since some Republican senators find it unacceptable in its current form for differing reasons. 

Locally, Congressman Ryan Mackenzie voted for the House version, saying it provides "commonsense solutions that people across the Lehigh Valley are counting on."

The house version includes (1) a $4 trillion tax cut which does include lower marginal income rates, an increase in the standard deduction, no taxes on tips and no taxes on social security; (2) Medicaid recipients without disabilities will have to work, which could reduce federal spending by $800 billion; (3) changes in Obamacare designed to make it more expensive, with reduced subsidies; (4) an end to most tax breaks, for clean energy, excepting nuclear energy; (5) An end to food stamps (SNAP) for people between 18 and 64 with no job, and a shifting to the states of some of the cost; (6) major increases in defense spending, including a Golden Dome similar to what Israel employs; (7) reductions in student loans; and (5) a $4 trillion increase in the national debt.

Mackenzie has two Democratic opponents in next year's Congressional race. Here's how they reacted.

Carol Obando-Derstine: "While working families slept, Ryan Mackenzie voted for Trump’s billionaire tax breaks and backed a bill that will rip healthcare from nearly 24,000 people in our district, threaten SNAP for 25,000 more, and keep driving up prices at our expense. It’s a cruel betrayal. While Mackenzie helps billionaires like Elon Musk and leaves our district behind, I’ve spent my career fighting for the families hit hardest by these cuts. I’m running for Congress to deliver real solutions and put working families first."

Lamont McClure: "In the dead of night, Ryan Mackenzie cast the deciding vote to stab working families in the back—supporting the largest Medicaid cuts in history. Ripping away healthcare from millions of Americans, all so his billionaire buddies get another tax break. It’s cowardly. It’s cruel. And I’m running for Congress to make damn sure he never gets to do it again."

House's Reaction to Obamacare Ruling? Fast and Furious

Just hours after the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare, the U.S. House voted to hold the Attorney General in contempt. This vote, largely along party lines, is ostensibly a reaction to the way the Justice Department handled Operation Fast and Furious, a botched gunrunning investigation. Numerous Democrats walked out on the vote.

Holder testified nine times before a House committee and provided thousands of pages of documents, but withheld some information on the grounds of executive privilege. So naturally, House Republicans are claiming some kind of cover-up.

LV Congressman Charlie Dent, among those who voted to hold AG Eric Holder in contempt, had this comment:

“H.Res. 711 affirms that in the United States, no citizen is above the law, including the Attorney General. While the consideration of this resolution was regrettable, it was also completely avoidable. Had Mr. Holder simply provided information to Congress about the Department of Justice’s involvement in the botched Operation Fast and Furious, today’s vote would have never occurred. However, rather than complying with a Congressional subpoena, Mr. Holder has chosen to conceal important information, preventing Congress from performing its intrinsic oversight responsibilities.

“President Obama once promised his Administration would be ‘the most open and transparent in history’, but it has unfortunately gone to incredible lengths to conceal information relating to Operation Fast and Furious - a botched scheme in which DOJ allowed Mexican drug cartels to purchase weapons in the United States, including those used in the murder of American border patrol agent Brian Terry. It is extremely disappointing the Administration’s desire to avoid political damage in an election year has overpowered the President’s pledge of unmatched government transparency.

“The American people, especially the family of Brian Terry, have demanded and deserve answers about the federal government’s role in Operation Fast and Furious. It is time for the Obama Administration to provide the information necessary to complete the Congressional investigation into this matter.”

Dent Joins House to Support Oil & Gas Drilling Bill

LV Congressman Charlie Dent yesterday joined all House Republicans, excepting two who were absent, and 33 Democrats, to adopt a bill to advance delayed oil and natural gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Virginia, and did so in the belief it will create thousands of quality American jobs. The final tally was 266 to 149.

“This crucial legislation will increase the long term production of domestic energy resources and generate thousands of American jobs,” said Rep. Dent in a news release. “It is important we make certain drilling off our shores is done in a clean and safe manner, but we can no longer allow this Administration to excessively delay the development of American energy." Basically, the Bill requires the Department of Interior to ensure that three leases granted in 2007 are completed no later June 2012.

Many House Republicans have also argued this exploration would ease prices at the pump.

President Obama opposes the House measure because it would use an "outdated" environmental analysis.

House, Including Dent, Votes To Leave the Lights On Until Thru April 8

LV Congressman Charlie Dent joined a bipartisan majority yesterday in voting to continue funding federal government operations through April 8, 2011. The final vote was 271 to 158, with 54 Republicans and 85 Democrats voting No.

Before yesterday's vote, Dent had been pressured by conservative and extreme elements from within his own party to "stand strong by voting against the Obama Budget by supporting the House conservative alternative." That plan would have defunded Planned Parenthood and the Corporation for Public Bradcasting. Conservative Michelle Bachman claimed that "a vote for the CR [Continuing Resolution] is a vote to not fight against ObamaCare."

“Unfortunately, dysfunction and a lack of urgency in the U.S. Senate has again pushed the nation to the brink of a government shutdown,” Dent said. “To avoid the extremely disruptive impact a shutdown would have on our economy, it was absolutely necessary the House passed an additional short-term Continuing Resolution. This legislation, which advances our efforts to reign in excessive federal spending, will provide ample time for the Senate to complete work on a measure that funds the government through the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011 and reflects the level of savings passed by the House.”

The short-term measure considered by the House today cuts an additional $6 billion in federal spending through funding rescissions and reductions, program terminations, and the elimination of $2.6 billion in earmark funding. This is the same $6 billion included in H.R.1, the long-term Continuing Resolution that passed the House on February 19th.

The measure must now be considered by the U.S. Senate.