Letter: The Big Ugly Boondoggle Bill

Dear Editor,

The Big Ugly Boondoggle Bill passed the House by the slimmest majority: 214-215! That means half the House voted against the bill. Add to that a majority of the American people do not like the contents of the bill, and you have a perfect example of just how broken our once-great democracy is today. So let’s  look at what this bill does to the citizens of the country. 

From The Cut in New York Magazine: “If it succeeds, millions of people will lose their health care (Medicaid) and grocery funds provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It’s not an exaggeration to say people will die as a result. Even if you do not rely on these programs, the bill will likely make your life much, much worse. 

Here’s what we’re up against: 75% of the budget bill goes to the military and police! Let that sink in. At the bill’s core are tax breaks constituting a massive wealth transfer to the rich at the expense of people barely scraping by. Lowering taxes on the rich would add trillions to the federal deficit, so Republicans propose making up the shortfall by cutting the social safety net. The bill would axe health insurance for many low-income and disabled people. A preliminary estimate from the Congressional Budget Office concludes that 8.6  million people would lose care. Hospitals and doctors’ offices, which are already struggling with tariff-induced hikes in equipment costs, will suffer financially from the withdrawal of Medicaid dollars. Some will be forced to shut down. 

 Americans are stressed about rising food prices, which will continue to increase as a result of tariffs. This bill would make food even less affordable. Forty million people rely on SNAP to afford groceries, and the program is confronting its largest cuts in history. Even if you personally don’t use food stamps, your local grocery store could go bankrupt after losing SNAP customers.

All this, for what? To funnel billions more in taxpayer money toward mass deportation and military assistance to Israel, which has been blocking humanitarian aid from reaching starving Palestinians in Gaza, and to potentially line the pockets of Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX is reportedly angling for a half-trillion-dollar contract to build a U.S. missile defense system.

From Heather Cox Richardson: “The kicker? An additional $2.3 trillion to our national deficit over the next decade, according to Congressional Budget Office projections, could lead to further economic suffering. Because the massive debt increase in the measure triggers a 2010 law requiring offsets, it will cut Medicare, as well, by an estimated $500 billion. (That folks, will impact quite a few families in Tioga County for sure.) 

So there you have it. This is not about MAGA or being loyal to your party or wanting to own the Dems. This is about changing our government into one that protects the wealthy to the detriment of everybody else. This budget hurts all of us equally. Every family will suffer eventually. The Republican Party no longer represents the best interests of the citizens. 

Donald Trump never did! This budget makes that very clear. 

Time to vote for a change and stop this madness. Whether you like it or not, the only way to neuter this guy is to elect a Democratic House and Senate.  

With optimism, 

D.R. Conning, Sr. 

Campville, Tioga County