Impacts of the Trump/GOP “Big Bill”

The short version - 1) rich get richer at the expense of poor folks health and food; 2) unprecedented funding for ICE detaining and putting people into what can only be called concentration camps (if you don’t believe me click the link; 3) adds $4.1 trillion to the U.S. debt. Details below:

  • $1 Trillion in Cuts to Medicaid: The CBO estimates at least 17 million people will lose health coverage under this bill. This prioritizes tax cuts to the wealthiest at the expense of poorer folks’ health.

  • $267B cut in food assistance. I really can’t understand taking away food support from people and saying it is more important to give that money to the wealthiest people.

  • Massive increase in ICE funding of $150 Billion, including: $45B for ICE detention centers. $14B for “transportation and removal” of people, $8B to “prioritize and streamline” the hiring of ICE personnel. $3B to “house, transport and supervise unaccompanied alien children”. This means the ICE budget is about equal to 18% of the entire U.S. Defense Department budget.

  • Poorest households negatively impacted, wealthiest positively impacted. Bottom fifth of income earners’ after tax income falls by 2.3%; wealthiest after tax income increases - hey how about that, by 2.3%.

  • Adds $4.1 Trillion to the U.S. Debt.

  • GDP growth slows, interest paid on U.S. debt increases.

This isn’t popular, and dismantles a large chunk of the social safety net, while expanding unconstitutional, warrantless, racial profiling and political detentions by ICE. I know there’s no tax on tips and there’s this Trump savings account idea. But you can do both of those things without taking an axe to health and the Constitution, while massively transferring wealth from low to high incomes in the most blatant grift.