Policy Soup stir the pot ALPHA

NEW: The U.S. Senate has passed the GOP budget bill by a vote of 51-50 following a tie-breaking vote by JD Vance. Tillis, Collins, and Paul voted No.

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.govJul 1(source)

Among all the terrible stuff in this bill, some good news: we successfully got Republicans to back off their provision to strip gender-affirming care in their budget bill. It's not included in the final text, and will not be voted on.

Reposted bySenator Ron Wyden

Peter Morley ♿️@petermorley.bsky.socialJul 1(source)

Senator @wyden.senate.gov & I spoke last Thursday about the BIG UGLY BILL moving through the Senate. Awareness is key, so please, pick up the phone & call your members of Congress. It is so crucial. Your stories DO make the difference & YOURS could be the one to change someone's mind. NEVER GIVE UP!

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.govJul 1(source)

Big update: after overnight meetings with the parliamentarian my team successfully got these exemptions stripped from the bill. Special giveaways to protect certain states from these devastating Medicaid cuts is the worst form of hypocrisy.

Republicans are about to decimate Medicaid across the country and their top two Senate leaders are trying to get their states exempted from the cuts at the 11th hour.

A screenshot of a tweet that reads “GOP negotiators looking at expanding the enhanced FMAP rate to at least three more states in addition to Alaska and Hawaii in order to pass muster with parliamentarian. Enhanced FMAP would be based on state population density and include North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Big effort being made to woo Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski.”

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.govJul 1(source)

Republicans are about to decimate Medicaid across the country and their top two Senate leaders are trying to get their states exempted from the cuts at the 11th hour.

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.govJul 1(source)

Wondering what folks in these groups can do with their tax savings?

A stock image of an old tire. The image is has the heading $151 buys: one tire

A stock image of a Lamborghini with the heading: $308,763 buys a multi-millionaire a 907-horsepower V8 Lamborghini Temerario

@whenwefeitwewin.bsky.social

NEW: My staff got a new breakdown of who wins under the latest version of the Republican tax plan. See for yourself. Unlike Republicans, the numbers don't lie.

A bar graph titled tax cuts under the Republican budget. The X axis is titled household income level, one bar shows the tax cuts for a household making $30,000 a year or less, which is $151. The other bar shows tax cuts for a household earning $2 million a year or more, which is $308,763. The Y axis is labeled Republican tax cut and dollars.

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.govJun 30(source)

Fight’s not over yet

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.govJun 30(source)

Exactly this. Planned parenthood provides life saving care in addition to reproductive care, often for people in low income and rural communities. This isn’t only an attack on reproductive rights, it’s an attack on the fundamental freedom to make your own health care choices.

NecessaryTrouble

when I was a college student in 1989 Planned Parenthood found a lump on my neck. I came home for the summer with a biopsy referral. It turns out I had thyroid cancer. Thank you Planned Parenthood! Clinics are medical offices. America we have to rise up against this tyranny. All of us. Every time.

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Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.govJun 30(source)

I want to be clear: this provision will defund Planned Parenthood. Clinics that provide life-saving care like cancer screenings will be forced to close their doors. By limiting access to these clinics, Republicans are basically implementing a backdoor nationwide abortion ban.

Oriana González

@oriana.bsky.social

News: The Senate Parliamentarian has officially declared that the provision to 'defund' Planned Parenthood can stay in reconciliation The bill currently says that PP, and other similar organizations, will not be able to receive federal funds for one year after the law is enacted

SEC. 71115. FEDERAL PAYMENTS TO PROHIBITED ENTITIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—No Federal funds that are considered direct spending and provided to carry out a State plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act or a waiver of such a plan shall be used to make payments to a prohibited entity for items and services furnished during the 1-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, including any payments made directly to the prohibited entity or under a contract or other arrangement between a State and a covered organization.

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.govJun 30(source)

Between their backdoor abortion ban, gutting Medicaid and taking food out of the mouths of hungry kids, Republicans just officially became the party of “let them die.”

Oriana González

@oriana.bsky.social

Reposted bySenator Ron Wyden

Senator Amy Klobuchar@klobuchar.senate.govJun 30(source)

As @ronwyden.bsky.social said on the Capitol steps: This is not over. We can win this.” We are fighting right now to Save Medicaid.

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.govJun 30(source)

NEW: My staff got a new breakdown of who wins under the latest version of the Republican tax plan. See for yourself. Unlike Republicans, the numbers don't lie.

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.govJun 30(source)

I just gave Republicans a chance to backtrack on the $1 TRILLION cuts to Medicaid in their budget bill. Every single one of them doubled down on their plans to deny their constituents life-saving health care and voted no.

Reposted bySenator Ron Wyden

Tax War Room@taxwarroom.bsky.socialJun 30(source)

@wyden.senate.gov on the GOP Tax Scam: "It's caviar over kids, hedge funds over health care, Mar-A-Lago over the middle class."

Reposted bySenator Ron Wyden

CAP Action@americanprogressaction.orgJun 30(source)

@wyden.senate.gov on the Trump billionaire bailout: It is caviar over kids, hedge funds over health care, Mar-a-Lago over the middle class. These medicaid cuts are going to reach down into every corner of our nation's health care system.

Reposted bySenator Ron Wyden

George Takei@georgetakei.bsky.socialJun 30(source)

The reverse Robin Hood: take from the poor to give to the rich.

Reposted bySenator Ron Wyden

LCV – League of Conservation Voters 🌎@lcv.orgJun 30(source)

"So here we are, 2025, and the Senate is about to pass a bill that taxes wind and solar while subsidizing coal." @wyden.senate.gov calls out the disastrous Republican Big Ugly Bill that would gut clean energy jobs and increase prices. "It is so backward, it leaves you slack-jawed."

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.govJun 29(source)

Update: Latest estimate confirms between Medicaid cuts and ACA rollback, total health care cuts in the Republican budget bill are now OVER $1 trillion.

Unbelievable. Latest update from the nonpartisan budget office says the Senate Republican bill now cuts nearly $1 TRILLION from Medicaid.

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Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.govJun 29(source)

Alright everyone. Republicans are going to force a vote on their gender affirming care provision even though it violates Senate rules. They’ll need 60 votes to keep it in. Now is the time to make your voice heard and ask your Senators to stand on the side of health care freedom.

Erin Reed

@erininthemorning.com

Transgender medicaid ban and definition of sex are back in the federal bill - Dems can raise a point of order and force a vote, and as long as we don't lose 7 dems on this, Dems can keep it out. Definitely worth some phone calls folks. bsky.app/profile/eric...

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Reposted bySenator Ron Wyden

Catherine Rampell@crampell.bsky.socialJun 29(source)

Republican senators have been racing to pass their bill before people learn about these numbers. But at some point Americans are going to notice anyway. Including the ~half of Medicaid recipients who voted for Trump.