There are only days remaining in the House Republicans\u2019 pledge to submit the coming year\u2019s federal budget. While the larger components in play today are known, their fates and sizes are not.<\/p>\n
Party work went on last weekend, including through the middle of the night on Sunday. Not a lot of light has bathed the coming GOP budget package, in contrast, for example, to months of public sessions and debate that shaped the Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare.<\/p>\n
Expect there to be reductions in Medicaid, likely to the funding that a few years ago gave states the opportunity to extend Medicaid to cover somewhat higher income individuals. Health costs continue a steep upward climb, stressing both Medicare and Medicaid. Adding a work requirement may be ideologically satisfying for Republicans, but the majority of recipients are already working. And \u201cnon- workers\u201d are taking care of family members in nonpaying positions, are unable to work due to a disability or are students.<\/p>\n
Some states might have the resources to pick up a portion of the 90% of costs to extend Medicaid that the federal government is currently covering, but only a portion. Or, other states, none at all.<\/p>\n
From the bits and pieces of what\u2019s being reported, incentives for green energy development and use will remain, but only at a fraction of what\u2019s there now, largely affecting states that overwhelmingly supported the president and will be most hurt. Funding for higher capacity battery development, key to using renewables, will be greatly reduced or eliminated. Gone will be tax incentives to purchase new and used electric vehicles, the party\u2019s argument being that they only benefit those who don\u2019t need it. And, the president\u2019s mantra is that the country needs to run on fossil fuels, not renewables (the Chinese, heavily focused on the value of developing greatly improved, less expensive EVs, cannot believe their good fortune).<\/p>\n
Donald Trump\u2019s first term\u2019s tax reduction is sure to be extended, including the reduced income tax percentages for those at the top of the brackets and for corporations. The $10,000 deduction for those who hadn\u2019t itemized was and is helpful for lower and middle incomes, as is the increased child tax credit, but the benefits at the high end tipped the package to favor the wealthy. Returning to the higher percentages would provide some offsetting revenue for the otherwise in-the-red initiative that\u2019s in process, but no elected Trump supporter would dare advocate for that. When will we begin to be honest and start talking about taxes \u2013 new or increased?<\/p>\n
There will be more money for defense, and to secure the southern border \u2013 to continue building the wall \u2013 although immigrant numbers have declined steeply as a result of the president\u2019s harsh rhetoric and blunt actions: If you\u2019re in this country illegally, habeas corpus \u2013 knowing the charges against you \u2013 won\u2019t apply and you risk being shipped to Libya, is his stance.<\/p>\n
The president\u2019s actions are negating the need for a completed wall, if that\u2019s what his supporters believe is important. Use that expense savings in any number of ways.<\/p>\n
What is reported about the \u201cBig Beautiful Bill\u201d is that it will add an estimated $4.6 trillion to the federal debt over 10 years. That, of course, has members of the House Freedom Caucus threatening a \u2018no\u2019 vote.<\/p>\n
And what does it mean that the very likely Medicaid reductions will not go into effect until 2029, after the midterms and a couple of weeks after the president is no longer in office?<\/p>\n
Reducing annual deficit spending and the national debt are critical issues. Current elected officials will say, \u2018yes, but not fully now,\u2019 after criticizing Democrats (and allowing fellow Republicans to ignore the challenge) for their inaction on those fronts for a couple of decades.<\/p>\n
Federal budgeting is sausage-making times 10, but this effort is worse than most. And, it\u2019s being done swiftly, with no light.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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