Donald Trump’s recent budget bill, now law, is an attack on the middle class — a final attempt to dismantle it — but it also draws the final line between the wealthy and everyone else. It is so disastrous, billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk is once again attacking conservatives on his social media platform X. With hospitals already shuttering their doors in rural communities in response to Trump’s new budget which will cut Medicaid for millions, we are witnessing a wealth transfer of historic levels.
People Losing Medicaid Are Going to “Die Anyway”
When asked her concern that Trump’s bill could lead to millions losing healthcare and some dying as a result, one Iowa Republican said the quiet part aloud. “We all are going to die,” Republican Sen. Joni Ernst said. She later doubled down on her comments in a mock apology video. Her heartless comments are a microcosm of the conservative psyche. It’s as though they’re saying, “Let those die who we decide can’t afford to live under our rule.”
Furthermore, news outlets are widely reporting that Trump’s “no tax on tips” is temporary and lasts only until 2028, and it covers up to only the first $25,000 earned. When Trump promised no tax on tips, he didn’t say, “No tax on tips up to $25,000 and only until 2028, right before I leave office.” It’s just enough to placate those pressuring him to keep a semblance of his word. Additionally, the “no tax on overtime” is temporary as well.
Millions of Qualified Recipients Will Lose Medicaid
Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has claimed the Medicaid work requirements are to prevent abled-bodied young men from playing video games instead of working. This would be an understandable position, but it is contradicted by the facts. As reported by KFF.org, of those receiving Medicaid and no similar benefits from other departments, “92% were working full or part-time (64%), or not working due to caregiving responsibilities (12%), illness or disability (10%), or school attendance (7%) (Figure 1).” Those affected most adversely will be mothers and caregivers to the elderly or those with disabilities.
In reality, a single-mother of 4 children will now have to try and find and afford childcare to work. She’ll have to worry about taking sick days when she has none and tip-toeing around an office. It’s unimaginable to put this kind of unnecessary burden on parents who already struggle to make ends meet.
“work requirements are just a cut to Medicaid by another name.”
Furthermore, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) says policies like this “implement burdensome paperwork requirements that cause eligible people to become disenrolled and lose their health insurance.” Some estimate that millions of eligible recipients will be kicked off Medicaid because of paperwork difficulties. CLASP indicated that “work requirements are just a cut to Medicaid by another name.” It has long been known that burdening people with unnecessary paperwork leads to a decline of participants in any program. This bill is just a macrocosm of a work requirement program in Georgia.
In the end, “As both the Georgia experiment and decades of research show, policies like this do not meaningfully increase employment,” as written by CLASP. With Republicans pushing this bill through containing these toxic policies and knowing the terrible consequences, the pending healthcare disaster seems to be by design.
The $400 Million Billionaire Tax Cut
Donald Trump’s disastrous bill includes $4.2 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthy. Even though some others got tax cuts, 60 percent of the benefits of the cuts will go to just 20 percent of households. The more money you make, the more taxes are cut in some areas. The issue is, those tax cuts were funded in part by the group of people being kicked off Medicaid. They pay taxes as well.
As predicated, Donald Trump is robbing the coffers of America and pouring its contents on the heads of billionaires. They have so much money, even Elon Musk is saying the bill should have ben killed, calling it a “disgusting abomination.” Musk had also previously threatened to start his own political party and run primaries against established politicians if the bill passed. It has passed, and Elon’s anger with Trump has only grown but nothing like the wealth gap.
Moreover, since 1990, the wealth gap has grown exponentially. While the American worker has become more productive, corporations have become stingier. Former President Ronald Reagan gave the wealthy tax cuts and promised a “trickle down effect” of wealth. That did not happen. The opposite did.
…like an evil magician, Trump has done all this all under the guise of ending “waste, fraud and abuse.”
In many aspects, money becomes a collectible commodity when the wealthy obtain more than they will ever spend. The more money they get, the more they want. They love their yachts and mansions, but that $100,000,000 million in stocks and bonds matters more. They care more about the total worth of their properties than they do about a private jet. Donald Trump just entered the cheat code for the ultrawealthy to get even wealthier.
The ironic part is, like an evil magician, Trump did this all under the guise of ending “waste, fraud and abuse.” Trump robbed the bank by telling the bank he was stopping a bank robbery as he robbed the bank in realtime. It’s actually legendary, if you ignore how twisted and unempathetic it is.
The Takeaway
Trump and Republicans managed to push through a budget that is projected to cause millions to lose Medicaid coverage to fund tax cuts for billionaires. Although the Trump Administration argues Medicaid work requirements will incentivize the unemployed recipients to join the workforce, those who can work are working. Those who are eligible for Medicaid will lose their benefits simply due to cumbersome paperwork and confusion. Trump’s tax cuts have widened the wealth gap to its extreme. All that is left now is the aftermath and the pending collapse of the middle class.
This article was written by Jermaine Reed, MFA, the Editor-in-Chief of The Reeders Block. Join the email list to get notifications on new blog posts and books. This article is 100% human-written. And remember, if you see an error, that’s what makes us human.
Discover more from The Reeders Block
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
The Reeders Block 