Policy Soup stir the pot ALPHA

Elon Musk’s business empire is built on $38 billion in government funding

The FAA may cancel a $2.4 billion contract with Verizon and instead give it to Starlink, owned by Elon Musk, WaPo reports. This would be his latest opportunity to get richer off of taxpayers. Musk and his businesses have received $38 billion in federal contracts and subsidies.

Tina Smith@smith.senate.govFeb 27(source)

Musk: Cut spending on everything!*** ***unless you’re talking about the $38 billion in taxpayer dollars I get as the world’s richest man.

Government infusions at key moments helped Tesla and SpaceX flourish, boosting Musk’s wealth.

Reposted byTina Smith

Tammy Duckworth@duckworth.senate.govFeb 26(source)

Secretary of Defense Hegseth says he doesn’t know if Russia invaded Ukraine. This you?

Pete Hegseth on FOX NEWS with headline chyron that reads: Tracking Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine.

Tina Smith@smith.senate.govFeb 26(source)

One giant grift.

A graph with the titles: House Republican Plan Would Take Health Care and Food Assistance Away from People to Pay for Tax Cuts for Wealthy

House Republican plan could cut Medicaid by $880 billion and SNAP by $230 billion while giving wealthy people $1.1 trillion in tax cuts

Tina Smith@smith.senate.govFeb 26(source)

Some more Minnesotans that have been screwed by Musk/Trump: * Forest Service worker who helps loggers sell timber * Veteran at the VA (who rooted out waste!) * Another veteran at the Small Business Administration who helped startups

Let’s call this what it is: A closed-door meeting where Republicans huddle up and find out how they can give boatloads of our money to the richest among us and leave pennies for everyone else. They’ll pay for it by defunding Medicaid, which ~40% of kids rely on. The villains in any story book.

Ben Guggenheim (@ben_guggenheim): NEW: White House to begin hosting weekly tax discussions with congressional leadership -> Including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Speaker Mike Johnson, Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith and Finance Chair Mike Crapo

Senate Banking Democrats Investigate Trump-Musk Attack on American Consumers

We had to set up a “shadow hearing” about how gutting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will hurt consumers — Republicans wouldn’t have one. Tune in here ⬇️

YouTube video by Senate Banking Housing and Urban Affairs Committee

HUD cuts expected to worsen America’s housing crisis, staffers say

How can you tell that Trump and Musk don’t actually care about going after waste and fraud? They just fired someone at the Minnesota VA whose job was to find waste/inefficiencies to save taxpayer money. It’s all a façade to shell out more money for billionaires and big corporations.

Reposted byTina Smith

The Washington Post@washingtonpost.comFeb 23(source)

Sharp cuts at the Department of Housing and Urban Development are likely to upend housing markets, make homes less affordable and roil mortgage transactions, according to current and former employees, contractors and housing experts.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is expected to be slashed in half, according to an internal memo obtained by The Washington Post.

That’s Tammy Baldwin — not me. You can keep track of all the hundreds of white men but it’s the 28 women in the Senate that trips you up, Fox News?

Fox News Headline: Sen Smith (D-MN), Musk Trade Blows Over DOGE

Photo: side by side of Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Elon Musk.

How far have we fallen as a country that we are siding with Russia and North Korea to vote against condemning Russia's actions in Ukraine?

Senator Chris Van Hollen

@vanhollen.senate.gov

Today, the US stood with Russia and North Korea — and against our allies — in voting against a UN resolution to condemn Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Let that sink in. This is a betrayal of the Ukrainian people, our allies, our interests and those who aspire for freedom.

Trump administration tells agencies they can ignore Musk order on email reply

Seems like there’s some trouble in paradise.

The Office of Personnel Management told HR officials that employees wouldn’t be let go for not replying to an email asking what they did last week.

Of course people get upset when you take their health care away to help rich people who don’t even need it.

People are mad, and we should be. We know when we’re being scammed. In the name of “efficiency” Musk is firing park rangers and cancer researchers, and defunding Medicare and Medicaid, all to find money for tax breaks for himself and big corporations.

MeidasTouch

@meidastouch.com

Mark Alford (R-MO): Elon Musk has contracts with the federal government, but he is also, I think, doing an effective job at weeding out the waste, abuse, and fraud in the government. Constituents: BOOO!!! SHOW ME!!! CONFLICT OF INTEREST!!! HE IS THE WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE!!!

They’re letting a megalomaniac billionaire desperate for validation play President – if you’re surprised people are pissed, you need to get out of your DC bubble. Nothing more American than hating a bad boss, especially an illegitimate one like Musk. Republicans just don’t like being called on it.

@briantylercohen.bsky.social

Maybe hating on dick bosses is the great unifier, the thing that brings all Americans together.

Brian Tyler Cohen

Elon getting ratioed on his own platform 👌

Elon, I hate to break it to you but you aren’t my boss. I answer to the people of Minnesota. But since you bring it up, I spent last week fighting to stop tax breaks for billionaires like you, paid for by defunding health care for moms and babies

Senator Tina Smith said: This is the ultimate dick boss move from Musk - except he isn’t even the boss, he’s just a dick.

That was in response to Musk saying “Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump's instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”

Musk responded @SenTinaSmith “What did you get done last week?”

I bet a lot of people have had an experience like this with a bad boss - there’s an email in your inbox on Saturday night saying, “Prove to me your worthiness by Monday or else.” I’m on the side of the workers, not the billionaire asshole bosses.