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Was breaking loose on the Senate floor As the Senate tries to rush through Donald Trump's disastrous budget bill before July 4th. I mean, you had MAGA Republican Senator Thom Tillis calling it quits, saying he's not going to seek reelection after he voted no against this disastrous budget bill and Donald Trump attacked him, and Donald Trump said that Tillis needs to be primary. You had hecklers show up at the Senate and start yelling at senators and saying, basically, you're killing us. You're destroying our lives. Shame on you. And then you had the MAGA Republicans literally worn out. They were getting so tired that they decided to push what's referred to as a vote a rama till this morning, instead of doing the votarama at 2am in the morning or 2am at night, depending on if you consider that the morning or the night. Remember, the Votorama is where once you vote to proceed on a budget bill or a reconciliation bill, in this case, and after 10 hours of debate takes place on the Senate floor that took place, the Democrats are able to add unlimited number of amendments, or at least propose to add an unlimited number of amendments to which the MAGA Republicans are forced to vote down. It's almost kind of like a filibuster in a way. Um, and it's just an endurance test where you keep on introducing amendment after amendment. The MAGA Republicans try to strike it down, and this could last more than a day. When it came to one of former President Biden's large initiatives, the American Recovery act, the MAGA Republicans did a vote Arama that took about 25 hours. So the MAGA Republicans thought that they were going to be able to vote on the disastrous budget bill on Monday, in which case it would go back to the House of Representatives, because the language in the Senate is different than the House language. The language has to be identical. And the Senate made it much worse. The Senate murder bill is worse than the House murder bill. It kills more people, it harms our energy grids and the energy affordability we have here in the United States. And our energy competitiveness with China makes it so much worse. More people taken off of food stamps and more people lose essential services. So then has to go back to the House. So where are we right now? In the Senate. So the vote around now takes place today because the Senate Republicans got tired. They could have done it at 2:00am but they said, all right, let's start 9:00am East coast time. This can take 24 hours, 25 hours. Let's see. Maybe the Democrats tried to stretch it even longer. Could Democrats go 48 hours. I don't know about that. But then that pushes this till Tuesday. Maybe there's a vote on this mid to late Tuesday. Maybe it even stretches into Wednesday. So what does that mean right now? Because remember, Trump wants this thing passed by July 4th. July 4th is Friday. A lot of the House and Senate, they're going to want to try to go home before the 4th. Why? They want to take a vacation. They want to be home. So let's say the Senate passes this Tuesday or Wednesday. Let's say that goes down, then the House has to either quickly pass it on the third or the fourth and it be signed on the fourth, or this gets kicked to the following week. So a lot of drama unfolding in the Senate right now. All right, let's bring you to the Senate floor where you had the debate, remember, 10 hours of debate that Democrats get. But then you had a heckler show up to yell at the MAGA Republicans and say, you people are awful. You, you people are killing us. Let's watch what unfolded. Play this clip.
Co-Host
Sergeant arms will restore ordering. The sergeant of arms will restore order. The sergeant. The sergeant of arms will restore order in the galley. The sergeant of arms will restore order. Sergeant of arms will restore order in the galley. Sergeant.
Host
So one of the tactics that the MAGA Republican Congress members are trying to do now is saying that all Americans will die in a nuclear war if we don't pass Trump's disastrous bill. Because you won't get the golden dome. The golden dome, everybody. Willy Wonka's golden dome. No one really knows what the hell this is even referring to. And Donald Trump wants a trillion dollar defense budget for a golden dome. But that's what they are talking about now. Bringing you back to the Senate floor, here is MAGA Republican Senator Rand Paul. He does not support this disastrous budget bill. Here's one of the reasons he says he doesn't support it. Play this clip.
Co-Host
Which brings us back to maybe we have to judge the effects of the big, not so beautiful bill by looking at what happens to the debt next year. Supporters of the bill admit it adds $270 billion to the debt next year. That's the only thing we know for certain. We don't know what happens in year 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10. But we know next year this bill will grow the deficit by $270 billion. In addition, the bill increases the debt ceiling by $5 trillion. What does that mean? That is an admission that they know they aren't controlling the deficit. They know that the ensuing years will add trillions more. So we're adding 2 trillion this year, but they're anticipating, the authors of the bill anticipating adding more than 2 trillion next year. That doesn't sound at all conservative to me. And that's why I'm a gnome.
Host
Got to give him credit for being honest there about how disastrous this budget bill is. On the other hand, you have MAGA Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. Here's what he has to say. Play this clip.
Co-Host
All my colleagues are going to vote for this bill. You should be proud and you should talk about it because it's going to make us all safer and it's going to make us all more prosperous. Me being budget chairman is a quirk in the history of the Senate. This is not my thing normally, but I have really gotten into it and I've learned a lot thanks to my colleagues. And I'm proud to have the honor of being budget chairman at a time I think it matters the most.
Host
I thought Democratic Senator Murray did a very good job just very calmly and diligently explaining why this bill is such a disaster. Let's play it as a senator from Washington.
Co-Host
President, I've been here a long time. Not only have I been the budget chair, I am the longest serving Democrat on that committee. And in my 33 years here in the United States Senate, things have never, never worked this way. Where one party so egregiously ignores precedent, process, and the parliamentarian and does that all in order to wipe away trillions of dollars of costs for a bill that could just be the most expensive legislation this body ever passes. Forget Senate procedure for a minute. Math, Mr. President, has never worked that way. I taught preschool and I'll tell you, even our littlest kids knows the difference between, between a trillion and zero. It doesn't take a preschooler to tell you they're using magic, math or that you can't just ignore the rules you don't like. How many times have my colleagues cried about the debt? How many times have they told me, I know you want to invest in childcare, Patty, but we got to get this budget under control. But now that it's tax cuts for billionaires and corporations, suddenly the budget doesn't matter anymore? Suddenly the rules do not matter anymore. Suddenly a couple trillion goes away with a sprinkle of fairy dust.
Host
Here she is again. Play it.
Co-Host
Have you no shame? If you think you can look the American people in the face and tell them we have to bring down the debt after passing what might be the most expensive bill in history. If you think you can do that and then be taken seriously. Well, you know what? If you believe that, maybe you are foolish enough to think that zero and a trillion are the same. Mr. President, I can't believe this is what we're doing today because I can tell you right now, if this happens, we will all laugh you out of the room because we have never seen anything like this. Not in my time here in the Senate, not in my time on this planet. We are not going to let anyone forget that you're trashing the rules in order to pass this egregious bill.
Host
Then you have Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island Environmental and Public Works Committee ranking member, and here's what he had to say. Let's play it in this place where.
Co-Host
Big money now rules and in which fakery is now the order of the day and numbers no longer have to be real, there is one point that stands out and that is that the fakery on the floor is belied by the language of the bill. If these assertions were true, they would not need to raise the debt limit.
Host
Then we have Democratic Senator Gary Peters, Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee ranking member from Michigan. Here's what he has to say.
Co-Host
Let's play it this bill will blow up the national debt. Since President George Washington gave his farewell address, our nation's leaders have warned against the dangers of accumulating a national debt. Fifteen years ago, Admiral Mike Mullen, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated, quote, the most significant threat to our national security is our debt. The national debt is at an all time high $36.2 trillion. And just in the last 16 years, it has tripled. Our annual deficits, frankly, exceed $1.5 trillion, including a record $3.1 trillion deficit in fiscal year 2020 during the Trump administration. Unfortunately, these are the first of many grave financial milestones that we face. Within the next decade, our country will spend more on servicing the debt than we do on any other federal account outside of Social Security. Our fiscal house is basically on fire. But if our Republican colleagues jam through this bill, it'll pour, won't. It's not going to pour water on that fire. It's going to pour gasoline on those flames.
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Co-Host
So let's look at some of the numbers here in terms of the impact of this bill. This bill will kill 300,000 jobs in wind and solar per year. We're going to lose out on $450 billion in capital as thousands of projects go under. And because of that, we're going to generate about 500 gigawatts less energy in the next decade. Now, there was a time, and I lived through it as a politician, there was a time when people who wanted to take climate action had to argue for that climate action because it is a planetary emergency and there were trade offs and people on the other side said, look, as we try to take action to deal with this planetary crisis, we can't create shortages, we can't increase prices, we can't impede economic progress. All that has flipped this bill will create shortages. This bill will impede economic progress. This bill will increase prices. The 500 gigawatts less energy in the next decade is pretty much exactly the amount of energy that we're going to need to meet rising demand. We are going to have energy shortages as a result of this legislation. And you don't have to love clean energy or be an environmentalist and I love clean energy and I'm an environmentalist. But you don't have to care about the climate. I think you should. You don't have to care about the climate to understand that this is a basic question of supply and demand. Energy demand is soaring for the first time in decades, largely because not exclusively, but largely because of AI data centers. And our best chance of meeting it in the next few years is with wind and solar, not oil and gas. Even nuclear and geothermal are going to take a while. That is not just a political talking point or a preference of mind. It's just a fact that gas turbines are stuck in a years long backlog. It's also a fact that 80% of the new capacity on the grid last year came from solar and storage. It's growing, it's cheap, it works. And there are hundreds more projects that are in the pipeline waiting to be hooked up. So the idea that we're going to kill the only energy, the only energy that can be brought online in the short run, the very same week that half the country was meeting, melting in a record heat wave which left tens of thousands without people, without power is beyond absurd.
Host
Here's Democratic Senator Wyden. Let's play it.
Co-Host
I have never seen this kind of economic self sabotage. The demand for energy booms. Right now. Even the heads of companies involved in fossil fuels are saying to me and other members of Congress we need solar quickly to get more electrons to the grid. But Republicans don't want to listen because this plan risks plunging us into an energy crisis. It would be a disaster and a total surrender to China on clean energy manufacturing. It's clear as a sunny day that all the talk from Donald Trump and Republicans about American energy dominance was just a fraud. Nothing but a hollow campaign slogan.
Host
Then we have Democratic Senator Murray again here. She talks about MAGA Republican Senator Joanie Ernst doubling down, walking through a cemetery saying that we're all going to die. You will die. So who cares if this budget bill kills you, you will die anyway. So this budget bill will just make it quicker. That's what the mag these MAGA Republicans are murderers in my view, Right? To me, this is a murder bill. These people are killers, in my own opinion. And they're like, they have this ghoulish view of death. Let's take a look at Democratic Senator Murray calling Joni Ernst, the MAGA Republican senator from Iowa, out. Let's play it.
Co-Host
Republicans are trying to stick their heads in the sand on this one. Republican senator told their concerned constituents, and I quote, we're all going to die. Well, maybe that's a better name for the bill. At least it's more honest. Because when you take care of health care away from people, when you make it harder to get, when you make it harder to afford, when you close the only hospital for mile miles. Yeah, you're right. People will die. You'd think my colleagues would show a bit more concern about that. Instead, that senator actually doubled down and in a response video, she filmed walking through a cemetery. I don't know how you get out of touch that much to misunderstand this. But let me be clear about something. To our Republicans, whistling past the graveyard is a metaphor to stop ignoring dangers. It is not a literal messaging suggestion.
Host
Democratic Senator Cantwell, let's play it.
Co-Host
And so now don't take my word for it. Take Mr. Musk word for it. The latest Senate draft bill destroys millions of jobs in America and causes immense strategic harm to our country. Utterly insane, destructive. It gives handouts to the industries of the past while severely damaging the industries of the future. Yeah, he said it best.
Host
Here's Democratic Senator Murray talking about how poorly this bill polls this disastrous budget bill. Let's play it.
Co-Host
Now, let's be clear. When we talk about how unpopulous this bill is with the American people. The reason is simple. This bill polls like garbage because it is garbage. That's why it should go nowhere except a trash bin.
Host
Here's what the MAGA Republican senators were saying outside of the Capitol building while that debate was taking place, where you had Lindsey Graham, Mark Wayne Mullen and MAGA Republican Senator Kramer, here's what they had to say. Let's play it.
Co-Host
I think that's a result probably of doing one big bill. If we had broken this thing up and done border and military early on, would have gotten Democrat votes for that, made the tax cuts permanent. The polls don't look particularly favorable to the bill. You've.
Host
I've heard you say that.
Co-Host
I've had heard people say that. I was like, what poll? Because in every red state I know of, they love it. It's President Trump's agenda. The bill is popular because the President is popular and we're moving forward with it.
Host
I think that that's when you pass.
Co-Host
It and prove the public wrong and.
Host
Let them live with lower taxes and.
Co-Host
The permanency of tax cuts.
Host
Here's Democratic Senator Van Hollen. Here's what he had to say. Let's play it.
Co-Host
If you look at the blue, you can see for each year Starting this year, 2025, 2006, the Blue is what Senate Republicans claim their bill will add to the deficit. The red is how much more it will actually add to the deficit. So at the end of this 10 year period, what you see is Senate Republicans are claiming that their Bill will add 441 billion, which is still a big number. But the real number, the real number, when you do honest accounting, when you add up all of these, it's $4.2 trillion, a much bigger number. Now, I do want to point something out on this chart. I think everybody watching should understand it. If you look at these orange parts, these are the additional deficits from tax cuts starting here in year 2029, 2030. You'll see that they actually do start going down. Why is that? It's because the tax cut that President Trump promised for no tax on tips, they phased those out. This is all just a make believe ruse. Yeah, we start providing no tax on tips, but those disappear. The tax breaks for wealthy people, they go on. And they go on, not just for this ten year period, but the reason they violate all the rules of reconciliation is because they keep going on after that. And as Senator Merkley said, if you look at the entire history of the Byrd rule, that's Senator Byrd. It was designed to make sure that 51 senators through a vote, could not make these kind of permanent changes in any area. But specifically, they were worried about areas that increased the national deficit.
Host
Here you have MAGA Republican Senator Tom Tillis saying that he can't look his own constituents in the eyes and tell them that they've lost their Medicaid. He goes, they're going to get killed. I can't look my constituents in the eye and tell them we've betrayed them and now they're going to die. I can't speak for my other Republicans, but I can't be a murderer as a senator. My colleagues will be murderers. I can't kill my own constituents. Here he is.
Co-Host
Let's play it that between the state directed payments and the cuts scheduled in this bill, there's a reduction of state directed payments. And then there's the reduction of the provider tax. They can't find a hole in my estimate. So what they told me is that, yeah, it's rough, but North Carolina's used the system. They're going to have to make it work. All right, so what do I tell 663,000 people in two years or three years when President Trump breaks his promise by pushing them off of Medicaid because the funding's not going to there anymore in the White House, advising the president are not telling him that the effect of this bill is to break a promise. And you know, the last time I saw a promise broken around health care with respect to my friends on the other side of the aisle, it's when somebody said, if you like your health care, you can keep it. If you like your doctor, you can keep it. We found out that wasn't true. That made me the second Republican speaker of the House since the Civil War, ladies and gentlemen, because we betrayed the promise to the American people. Two years later, three years later, it actually made me a US senator because in 2010, it had just been proposed and just anticipation of what was going to happen was enough to have a Sea change election that swept Republicans into the majority for the second time in 100 years. Now Republicans are about to make a mistake on health care and betraying a promise. It is inescapable that this bill in its current form will betray the very promise that Donald J. Trump made in the Oval Office or in the Cabinet Room when I was there with finance, where he said, we can go after waste, fraud and abuse on any programs now and then.
Host
I got to play this for you. Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock from Georgia. He goes, I want to make a point about budgets. A budget is a moral document as well. Here, play this clip.
Co-Host
And so, in a very real sense, lives are on the line. We are in a moral moment because something else is on the line. I submit that the character of the country is on the line in real sense. The question tonight is who are we? Not who do we tell ourselves we.
Host
Are.
Co-Host
But who are we really? What and who do we care about? What kind of nation are we and what kind of people do we want to be? Who matters and who doesn't? Who do we think is dispensable? In no place is the answer to that question clearer than in a nation's budget. I submit that a budget is not just a fiscal document. A budget is a moral document. Show me your budget and I'll show you who you think matters and who doesn't. And if this awful budget were an ekg, it would suggest that our nation has a heart problem and is in need of moral surgery.
Host
There you have it folks. Democrats were successful though in at least starting the vote a rama today on Monday 9am versus at 2am and so now Democrats can try to drag this thing to Tuesday, educate the public more on this murder bill and how disastrous it is and is going to be and then we'll see what the House does. I think ultimately the Senate passes this atrocity because I believe that the MAGA Republican senators want to help Donald Trump kill Americans. I'm just, I'm not going to mince my language. I think Donald Trump, and I'm giving you my opinion, I think he gets off on killing Americans. I think that makes him as a weak and pathetic man, feel powerful. And I think you have a lot of sicko MAGA Republican senators who want to kill Americans as well. They like to see death. They're in a death cult. So we just gotta call it out. We'll call it like we see it here. The Midas Touch Network Hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million subscribers. Thanks for watching new Midas Merch Drop. Check out the latest pro democracy sticker packs, T shirts, hats, sweatshirts and more all@store.midas touch.com ready to level up.
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The MeidasTouch Podcast: Detailed Summary of "All Hell Breaks Loose on Senate Floor as Vote Delayed"
Episode Information:
In this episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast, the Meiselas brothers delve into the intense political drama unfolding on the U.S. Senate floor concerning President Donald Trump's contentious budget bill. The episode provides an in-depth analysis of the procedural maneuvers, the heated debates between Republicans and Democrats, and the broader implications of the bill on American democracy and governance.
The Senate is currently embroiled in a heated struggle to pass President Trump's budget bill before Independence Day, July 4th. The bill has been widely criticized as disastrous, with significant implications for the national debt, energy policy, and social services.
Votorama Delay: To prevent the bill's swift passage, MAGA Republicans initiated a "votarama," a series of procedural votes aimed at delaying the bill.
Explanation of Votorama ([03:00]): The host explains that votarama leverages unlimited amendments, forcing Republicans to continuously veto proposals, thereby extending debates and delaying the vote indefinitely.
Historical Reference ([03:20]): The tactic is compared to a filibuster, with a precedent set during the American Recovery Act debates, which lasted approximately 25 hours.
Senator Thom Tillis:
Quote ([02:50]): "I'm not going to seek reelection after I voted no against this disastrous budget bill."
Senator Tillis announced his decision not to seek reelection following his vote against the bill, highlighting internal dissent within the Republican ranks.
Senator Rand Paul:
Quote ([07:54]): "Supporters of the bill admit it adds $270 billion to the debt next year. We don't know what happens in year 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10. But we know next year this bill will grow the deficit by $270 billion."
Senator Paul criticizes the bill's fiscal irresponsibility, emphasizing the lack of long-term fiscal planning.
Senator Lindsey Graham:
Quote ([09:08]): "All my colleagues are going to vote for this bill. You should be proud because it's going to make us all safer and more prosperous."
Contrary to his peers, Senator Graham defends the bill, asserting its benefits for national security and economic prosperity.
Senator Tom Tillis:
Quote ([25:46]): "I can't look my constituents in the eye and tell them we've betrayed them and now they're going to die. I can't be a murderer as a senator."
Senator Tillis voices his moral opposition to the bill, portraying it as a betrayal that could lead to dire consequences for Americans.
Senator Patty Murray:
Quote ([09:54]): "If you believe that, maybe you are foolish enough to think that zero and a trillion are the same."
Senator Murray lambastes the bill's economic rationale, highlighting the absurdity of neglecting the national debt.
Further Commentary ([22:32]): "When we talk about how unpopulous this bill is with the American people. The reason is simple. This bill polls like garbage because it is garbage."
Murray emphasizes the bill's unpopularity and inherent flaws, advocating for its rejection.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse:
Quote ([19:26]): "The Republicans don't want to listen because this plan risks plunging us into an energy crisis. It's a disaster and a total surrender to China on clean energy manufacturing."
Whitehouse critiques the bill's impact on energy policy, warning of its potential to cripple the U.S. energy sector.
Senator Gary Peters:
Quote ([13:12]): "This bill will blow up the national debt. It's not going to pour water on that fire. It's going to pour gasoline on those flames."
Peters underscores the bill's exacerbating effect on the already critical national debt situation.
Senator Brian Schatz:
Quote ([16:38]): "This bill will kill 300,000 jobs in wind and solar per year. We're going to lose out on $450 billion in capital as thousands of projects go under."
Schatz highlights the bill's detrimental effects on the renewable energy sector and job market.
Senator Raphael Warnock:
Quote ([28:39]): "A budget is a moral document. Show me your budget and I'll show you who you think matters and who doesn't."
Warnock frames the budget as a reflection of national values and priorities, condemning the bill as morally bankrupt.
The budget bill is portrayed as a multi-faceted catastrophe with far-reaching consequences:
National Debt: The bill adds $270 billion to the national deficit next year and increases the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, signaling unchecked fiscal expansion ([07:54]).
Energy Policy: The bill threatens clean energy initiatives by eliminating crucial funding for wind and solar projects, potentially leading to energy shortages and economic setbacks in the renewable sector ([16:38]).
Social Services: Proposed cuts would result in more people being removed from food stamps and losing essential services, exacerbating social inequalities ([02:26]).
Economic Growth: The reduction in investment capital by $450 billion could derail thousands of projects, stalling economic progress and innovation ([16:38]).
The Meiselas brothers provide a vehement critique of the bill and the actions of the MAGA Republicans:
Moral Condemnation: The host labels the budget bill as a "murder bill," accusing Senator Tillis and other MAGA Republicans of prioritizing political gamesmanship over the lives and well-being of Americans ([20:13]).
Character Assassination of Trump: The host alleges that Donald Trump derives satisfaction from policies that harm Americans, portraying him as a "weak and pathetic man" who indulges a "death cult" mentality ([30:10]).
Call to Action: Emphasizing the urgency, the hosts urge listeners to recognize the moral implications of the budget and support democratic values to counteract the destructive agenda.
The Senate's decision to start the votarama at 9:00 AM ET instead of the usual 2:00 AM signals a strategic move by Democrats to prolong debates and educate the public on the bill's dangers.
Potential Outcomes ([30:10]): If the Senate manages to extend the debate to Tuesday or even Wednesday, it could result in further delays, giving Democrats more time to mobilize opposition.
House Implications: Should the Senate eventually pass the bill, discrepancies between Senate and House versions could force the bill back to the House, prolonging the legislative impasse.
The episode paints a bleak picture of the current state of the U.S. legislative process, highlighting deep partisan divides and the high stakes involved in the budget debate. The Meiselas brothers conclude with a strong denunciation of the bill and the MAGA Republicans, urging listeners to remain vigilant and active in defending democratic principles.
Final Thoughts: This episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast delivers a comprehensive and impassioned examination of the ongoing budget bill debate, highlighting the high political tensions and the potential consequences for the nation. Through a blend of factual analysis and strong editorial opinions, the Meiselas brothers aim to inform and rally their audience against what they perceive as a perilous legislative path forward.