Republicans just passed the most regressive tax plan in history. Now what? Millions of Americans are only just learning about the law and what’s in it. Now is the time to double down and keep pushing back. MeidasTouch Network and Families Over Billionaires Jul 10 Guest article by Michael Linden, Director of Families Over Billionaires and former Executive Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget Last week, Congressional Republicans betrayed working families across the country by passing Trump’s Billionaire Tax Scam. With this law, Republicans are gutting health care and raising costs on everyday Americans in order to give money to their ultra-wealthy donors. I’ve seen a lot of policy in my time working in the White House and on the Hill, but this law is unquestionably the biggest step backward for health care and a fair tax system in modern American history. Needless to say, it’s been a tough week. All of us will be impacted by this bill in some way, and the consequences are objectively really terrible. Millions will lose their health care coverage. Millions more will see their health costs rise. Families will lose basic food aid to keep their kids fed. Both livelihoods and lives will be lost. All to shovel more tax breaks to the richest people on the planet. This is a law that will make most people pay more so that rich people pay less. For everyone who has been trying to stop this bill from becoming law, it can be hard to keep fighting when it seems like so much progress has been lost. But we can’t stop fighting now. If we want any hope of overturning this travesty and putting the government back on the side of working Americans, the first task is making sure that Trump and Congressional Republicans do not get away with this massive betrayal. Right now, millions of Americans are only just hearing about the Tax Scam for the first time. It is a critical moment for shaping public understanding of the bill and holding the shameless politicians who voted for it accountable. Poll after poll has shown that while we are winning the fight over this law with the public, a lot of work remains to ensure everyone knows what’s in it and who is responsible for passing such a cruel betrayal of working families. Most reliable national polls have shown that nearly half the country knows very little or nothing at all about the Tax Scam. The leading health care researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation found the bill was nearly 30 points underwater in early June—35% favorable to 64% unfavorable. However, they also found that 38% think the bill “won’t make much of a difference” for their families, showing just how many people don’t have the information they need about the law’s devastating and widespread impacts. Even Fox News’ recent poll found that the bill is 21 points underwater, but that 40% don’t know what’s in it. That’s where we have an opportunity to continue this important work. The good news is that we’re actually ahead of the game compared to where we were in 2017 and 2018 when fighting Trump’s first Tax Scam. More people know about this bill, and it’s even more unpopular than that bill was. But we can’t rest on our laurels when so many Americans still don’t know enough. If we leave the field uncontested, Republicans will define the law with their lies. So what can we do? We keep doing what we’ve been doing—because it’s working. More people are learning about Republicans’ Tax Scam every day, and it’s becoming more and more unpopular as a result. While the bill has become law, if we don’t cede an inch, we can force this subject to remain front and center so Republicans can’t hide from the harm they’ve caused. So keep demanding answers from your representatives on how they could vote for such a cruel bill. Keep protesting, keep calling, keep demanding town halls—or organizing your own if they’re too cowardly to show up. Keep talking to your friends, family, and neighbors to ensure everyone knows the truth about how harmful Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” will be for their lives—and who is responsible for it becoming law. Tell them how 17 million Americans will lose insurance, and millions more will lose food assistance. Tell them how their electric bills will go up and health care premiums will skyrocket. Tell them how college will be even more unaffordable because of this law. Spread the word, and keep up the pressure. While we can no longer prevent this disastrous budget from becoming law, if we keep up the pressure, soon enough, there will be opportunities for us to fix what they’ve broken. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

A guest post by

Families Over Billionaires The Families Over Billionaires campaign is fighting to put hardworking families first, standing against tax giveaways to the rich and corporations, and holding our leaders accountable.

The GOP Tax Scam — And How We Fight Back The American people want Washington to lower costs, not give handouts to the wealthy at their expense. MeidasTouch Network and Families Over Billionaires Guest article by Michael Linden, Director of Families Over Billionaires and former Executive Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget Editorial credit: Joshua Sukoff / Shutterstock.com This week, the Senate is trying to pass Republicans’ Billionaire Tax Scam – a bill that would gut health care and food assistance for millions of Americans in order to fund massive tax breaks for the rich. I’ve worked extensively in economic policy, including at the White House Office of Management and Budget and at the Senate Budget Committee. I’ve seen a lot of budget proposals in my time, but never have I seen one as fundamentally and inarguably unfair as this one. Here’s what you need to know: Republicans’ Billionaire Tax Scam would kick 16 million people off their health insurance, take food assistance away from millions of Americans – including up to 18 million poor children – and raise costs for nearly 80 million low- and middle-income households in the form of higher prices on everything from health care to energy bills to college tuition. At the same time, the Scam would deliver another round of massive tax breaks to the richest households in the country. Very simply, the Tax Scam takes from the poor and the middle and gives to the rich. But you don’t need to take it from me. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has confirmed how skewed this bill is to the wealthy. Over 80 percent of the benefits in this bill go to the richest 5 percent. Costs for the bottom 10 percent of Americans will go up by $1,600, while the richest 10 percent get a $12,000 handout. All of that adds up to trillions of dollars being taken from programs that help everyday families to give more money to the ultra-wealthy and large corporations. If that all sounds bad to you, you’re not alone. Nobody, except for the billionaires it benefits, likes this bill. Poll after poll confirms that the majority of Americans – even Trump supporters – are overwhelmingly opposed to cutting essential services like Medicaid and food assistance to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. Voters don’t support this legislation, and the more they learn about it, the stronger they oppose it. The bad news is that the polling also tells us that MANY Americans have no idea what is happening right now – partly because Republicans are lying and hiding the truth, including with midnight votes and secret negotiations. They know voting for this bill will be unpopular, and they’re just hoping that no one notices. That’s where you come in. The pressure that’s already out there is making a difference, but we can’t take our foot off the gas. Recently, we saw millions of Americans join ‘No Kings’ protests across the country voicing their opposition against this administration’s agenda to favor the few at the expense of the many. That pressure, people showing up to town halls and demanding answers, has exposed Republican lies time and time again. When Iowa Senator Joni Ernst was asked by a constituent about the avoidable deaths cutting Medicaid will cause, her only response was to callously dismiss the concern, saying “well, we all are going to die.” When pressed about how harmful this tax scam will be, Republican lawmakers have no answer. So here’s what you can do: Call your Senator at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote no on this harmful legislation. Speak out on social media, share your stories, and talk to your friends and neighbors about how this bill would hurt everyday people. The more we can shine a light on this betrayal, the harder it will be for them to vote for it. Let’s remind every lawmaker in Washington that they work for us, not their billionaire donors, and if they betray working families to deliver tax breaks for billionaires, they will be held accountable. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Watch the recent MeidasTouch interview with Michael Linden on YouTube here  The MeidasTouch Podcast MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on MAGA Mike Johnson’s budget bill getting ripped up by Republicans in the Senate and Meiselas interviews former OMB Staffer and Current Director of Families over Billionaire’s Michael Linden about his views on the budget bill. Visit https://meidasplus.com for more! MeidasTouch relies on SnapStream to record, watch, monitor, and clip the news. Get a FREE TRIAL of SnapStream by clicking here: https://go.snapstream.com/affiliate/m... Support the MeidasTouch Network:   / meidastouch   Add the MeidasTouch Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Buy MeidasTouch Merch: https://store.meidastouch.com Follow MeidasTouch on Twitter:   / meidastouch   Follow MeidasTouch on Facebook:   / meidastouch   Follow MeidasTouch on Instagram:   / meidastouch   Follow MeidasTouch on TikTok:   / meidastouch   A guest post by Families Over Billionaires The Families Over Billionaires campaign is fighting to put hardworking families first, standing against tax giveaways to the rich and corporations, and holding our leaders accountable.

 

                TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY ON THE BACKS OF THE POOR!

               FROM POLITICO: 

                

Senate Republicans unveil retooled budget blueprint

GOP leaders want to adopt the resolution this week, where it would face an uncertain future in the House.

Jordain Carney

04/02/2025

            excerpt: 

             “Republicans blowing up our national debt to dole             out massive tax cuts for billionaires is nothing new,             but their attempt to use a ridiculous budget                         gimmick to try and evade longstanding budget rules           and pretend their billionaire tax giveaways are                      somehow free is some next-level stuff,” said                    Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the           Appropriations Committee.   

Republicans Are Selling Out Working Families — But We Can Stop Them Their Billionaire Tax Scam will kick millions off their health insurance and raise costs for working families – all to give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. MeidasTouch Network and Families Over Billionaires Apr 3 Written by Michael Linden, Director of Families Over Billionaires and former Executive Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during the Biden Administration. Follow Families Over Billionaires on social @TaxWarRoom and check out their Substack here. Guests including Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk get prime seating at Donald Trump’s inauguration, Jan. 20, 2025. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS Republicans in Congress are betraying everyday Americans to give trillions in tax handouts to billionaires and corporations. This week, the Senate is voting to advance their Billionaire Tax Scam that slashes Medicaid, takes food assistance away from people in need, and raises costs for working families all across the country – all to pay for tax breaks for the rich. That may sound like political hyperbole, but it’s not. I worked on countless federal budgets and helped shape economic policy as Executive Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Biden White House, so I know firsthand just how devastating Republicans’ tax plans will be for working families. That’s why I am working with the Families Over Billionaires campaign to stop these billionaire-first tax plans, and I hope you’ll join us – and the millions of your fellow Americans from across the political spectrum who oppose giving tax breaks to the wealthy – in the fight. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. From the moment he was sworn in, Trump showed America who he was really fighting for by literally putting billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos in front-row seats at his inauguration while his working-class supporters were left out in the cold. Since then, things have only gotten worse. Trump and his billionaire co-president, Elon Musk, have gutted essential services for millions of Americans, including slashing resources for the Veterans’ Administration, Social Security, and the Department of Education. So, what does that mean for you? Those cuts mean seniors can’t access their Social Security benefits and checks might be delayed in the coming months. It means veterans will face longer wait times for life-saving medical care and the benefits they have earned through their brave service. It means your local public school will see teacher layoffs, bigger class sizes, and fewer resources for students with disabilities. Those are just some of the many illegal, reckless, and harmful cuts Musk is making to finance tax breaks for himself and his billionaire friends. Republicans have already admitted that they will use the money Musk slashes from critical services to help offset the massive cost of their tax plan. And Republicans know that these wildly unpopular cuts would never make it through Congress, which is why they’re relying on Musk to do their dirty work through DOGE. But these services and benefits for everyday people aren't Musk and Republicans’ personal piggy bank — they are lifesaving, fundamental resources that millions of Americans rely on. Republicans are hoping that the American people won’t notice what they’re doing or that they can hide the truth about their plan. But we aren’t falling for their lies. In just the past few weeks, thousands have taken to the streets all across the country to make their voices heard and speak out against the disruption and chaos caused by the Trump-Musk administration and the harms of their billionaire-first agenda. In fact, we know that most Americans – including most Republicans – disagree with what Congressional Republicans are doing. Most Americans, including most Trump voters, think the wealthy and corporations pay too little in taxes. And the overwhelming majority of Americans are against Republicans’ draconian cuts to essential services, again including a majority of Trump voters. This isn’t a red or blue, liberal or conservative, or even Republican or Democratic issue – it’s about whose side you’re on: working families or billionaires and big corporations. Because their plans are so massively unpopular, Republicans are using a special process called reconciliation that will allow them to sneak it through Congress despite opposition. While the process is long and complicated, Republicans' end game is clear: They want to pass a billionaire-first tax plan which will cost trillions, and force everyday Americans to foot the bill. Seventy percent of the tax bill’s benefits go to the richest 5%, while costs go up for the bottom 40% of Americans. Meanwhile, their plan cuts trillions in funding from essential programs, including kicking millions off their health insurance, taking away school meals from children in need, and raising costs for working families. Senate Republicans are trying to hide the size of their cuts, but the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed that the language they include in their bill forces massive cuts to Medicaid. Luckily, the Senate vote this week is only the first step in the process and it’s not too late to stop their plans from becoming law. If we all speak out, we can hold Congressional Republicans accountable and stop them from screwing over everyday Americans. So, if you’re one of the millions of Americans who doesn’t want to have your health care taken away, your kids’ school lose resources, your Social Security check be jeopardized, then it’s time to join the fight against Republicans’ Billionaire Tax Scam. Call your Member of Congress at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote no on the budget proposal. Speak out on social media. Make sure your friends and neighbors know what is happening in Congress, and how it would make life harder and more expensive for working families all across the country. Together, we can send a clear message to our elected leaders: there will be consequences if you vote to put billionaires over working families. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. A guest post by Families Over Billionaires The Families Over Billionaires campaign is fighting to put hardworking families first, standing against tax giveaways to the rich and corporations, and holding our leaders accountable. Subscribe to Families