Latest news with #OneBigBeautifulBill
Wall Street Journal
6 hours ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
WSJ Opinion: Are Republicans Capable of Cutting Spending?
Donald Trump scored a victory with the passage of his 'One Big, Beautiful Bill,' and lawmakers recently approved a rescissions package that cuts $9 billion in spending. Yet Republicans remain far from their campaign promises to rein in the Joe Biden-era spending spree. On this episode of All Things, Kim Strassel speaks to one of the Senate's fiscal conservatives, Florida's Rick Scott, about the prospects for more reconciliation or rescission bills that cut government largesse, whether Senate Democrats will join to pass slimmer GOP appropriations bills (or provoke a government shutdown) as the September 30 funding deadline looms, and the criticisms surrounding Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell. Photo: Monica Espitia
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kentucky Politics Insider: Trump, McConnell play nice & is Scott Jennings in for Senate?
Kentucky Politics Insider offers an analysis of Kentucky politics and the conversations that drive decisions. Email reporter Austin Horn at ahorn@ or ping him on social media sites with tips or comments. Given their long history of working together — filled with ups and downs — it wouldn't be totally accurate to call Sen. Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump 'strange bedfellows.' But it is notable that McConnell has boosted Trump's most recent legislative effort. McConnell was a key ally in Trump's push to pass his far-reaching budget bill, which extended many tax cuts and cut spending on Medicaid, among other things. Though McConnell has supported the large majority of the president's initiatives, the two have traded harsh words since Trump left office after his first term. Trump has used a variety of derogatory terms to refer to McConnell, calling him 'dumb' and insinuating he had a 'death wish' for supporting a piece of legislation Democrats also backed. In this term, Trump has also reserved sharp criticism for McConnell for his opposition to the confirmation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary. In private, McConnell called the president a 'despicable human being' and a 'narcissist,' according to a recent biography of the senator. The latest chapter in the hot-and-cold relationship took a warm turn, highlighted with McConnell's social media post of a photo with Trump. 'I enjoyed celebrating the passage of One Big Beautiful Bill with President Trump and Senate Republicans tonight at the White House dinner,' McConnell posted to X Friday. Jennings still flirtatious When it comes to discussing the 2026 race for U.S. Senate, don't forget about Scott Jennings. The prominent pundit, who has risen to conservative celebrity status during the Biden and Trump years, made sure that won't happen with his recent comments on a conservative podcast. Eric Bolling, the host, mentioned that 'a lot of people' had been talking about Jennings' potential as a candidate for U.S. Senate. This is true, though talk has cooled somewhat since the field has solidified into three prominent Republicans: Rep. Andy Barr, former AG Daniel Cameron and Lexington tech entrepreneur Nate Morris. The Dawson Springs native demurred in his response, saying he 'hasn't made any announcements about that,' and mentioning that he knew all three of the big name candidates well. He was pretty clear on what, or who, could bring him into the fold. 'I do think politics is a team sport. I think Trump's the head coach and eventually he's gonna weigh in on this,' Jennings said. 'My political advice would be to anybody 'If he calls a play, we're gonna have to run it, and I wouldn't want to run against the president in Kentucky.'' When pressed on if he'd run if Trump tapped him for the seat, Jennings was straightforward: 'I pay close attention to everything the president says.' Morris full of 'it' The contest for the Republican nomination to U.S. Senate has continued to heat up over the last week. The biggest case in point: an ad war between Morris and a political action committee supporting Barr. Continuing with his focus on McConnell, Morris' latest ad displays Cameron and Barr as literal puppets of McConnell. It claims that the two 'stuck with' McConnell when he 'pushed for amnesty for' undocumented immigrants. McConnell has actually been a steadfast opponent of amnesty for undocumented immigrants throughout his Senate career, as evidenced by his comments and votes over the years. The reference to 'amnesty,' according to a Morris spokesperson, comes from McConnell's support for a 2024 bipartisan immigration reform bill that Trump opposed. Most references to 'amnesty' in that bill relate to a section that only allowed an emergency expulsion authority to fully activate when an average of 5,000 or more people entered the country illegally during a seven-day period, opening it up to such criticism when fewer than that number entered. Still, there was no amnesty for undocumented immigrants in the bill. 'I'm sick of watching the elites give handouts to illegals while working-class families struggle,' Morris said in the ad. 'I'll lead the fight against amnesty by stopping all immigration until we deport every single illegal immigrant in America.' Morris has made leaning far right on immigration a part of his platform, calling for a complete moratorium on all immigration for a limited time. He closed stating that he was 'a Trump guy, not a McConnell boy.' The ad is supported by a 'seven-figure' overall television advertising campaign, Morris' spokesperson said. Meanwhile, the political action committee working to help elect Barr is hard at work to bring down Morris' reputation among Republican voters before the first-time candidate even becomes a household name. Focusing on the allegedly 'fake' nature of Morris, the ad from Keep America Great PAC homes in on Morris' business past. It references various actions taken on the subject of diversity. 'As a CEO, Morris was so woke, he signed a pledge promising to support DEI, his company even published a list of gay-owned stores and told employees to shop there,' the ad states. It ends with an expletive-punctuated refrain: 'Fake Nate Morris, fully woke, and full of s—.' Dembo's big haul It's always a head-turning event when a newcomer to politics launches a professional campaign for office. Newly-minted Democratic candidate for Kentucky's 6th Congressional District Zach Dembo did it again on Monday when he announced that he'd raised more than $160,000 just three days after launching his campaign. Let's first acknowledge that candidates very often get their campaign contributions lined up well before they actually enter the race. A quick burst of donations right after announcing is nothing new in politics. But $160,000 is an impressive haul for a first-time candidate. We won't know how the full amount Dembo brings in compares to his peers until the next campaign finance deadline coming up in October. Former Democratic House Caucus Chair Cherlynn Stevenson and former Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman David Kloiber both posted respectable numbers in their June 30 reports, with Stevenson leading and Kloiber's personal wealth meaning he could put in much more. Money isn't everything in Central Kentucky politics, though. Kloiber himself far outspent Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton in 2022 when he challenged her from his city council perch, but Gorton marched to an easy reelection victory.
Axios
12 hours ago
- Business
- Axios
Behind the Curtain: Losing by winning
President Trump, in terms of raw accomplishments, crushed his first six months in historic ways. Massive tax cuts. Record-low border crossings. Surging tariff revenue. Stunning air strikes in Iran. Modest inflation. Yet poll after poll suggests most Americans aren't impressed. In fact, they seem tired of all the winning. Why it matters: Trump appears to be losing by winning. The more he does (including issues beyond his legislative wins), the more the general public, especially independents, shrug — or recoil. This paradox is unfolding in what could be the very best chapter of his presidency, before tariffs push prices higher or midterms pose risks to his GOP majorities. And it's being aggravated by the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, which has exposed rare cracks in Trump's decade-old MAGA movement. What the polls say: One poll is meaningless. But a bunch of credible polls, showing the same thing, are worth paying attention to. And almost all of them show big majorities opposed to provisions of the " One Big Beautiful Bill" ... and harsh immigration crackdown ... and high tariffs ... and pardons for Jan. 6 convicts ... and wild improvisation with Russia. Trump was underwater (more unpopular than popular) on issue after issue in a CBS News/YouGov poll out Sunday, with broad disapproval on his handling of the economy: 70% of those polled said his administration wasn't doing enough to lower prices, and 61% said it was putting too much focus on tariffs. On the administration's deportations of immigrants in the U.S. illegally, the CBS News/YouGov poll found overall support dropping 10 points over the past five months (59% to 49%). The GOP base remains overwhelmingly supportive, but a CNN poll found a 10-point increase (45% to 55%) in U.S. adults who say Trump has gone too far on deportations. Some Trump advisers believe the deportations are more popular than polls reflect, based on some people's unwillingness to tell pollsters their true views on the issue. On Trump's megabill, an AP-NORC poll found more adults think the new tax and spending law will benefit the wealthy (64%) than think it helps the middle class or "people like you" (51% each). The percentage who approved of Trump's handling of government spending (38%) was down 8 points from March. Trump's handling of the Epstein case presents the latest — and so far greatest — threat to his public image: A new YouGov poll gave Trump a net rating of -34, his worst on any major issue this term. The backlash has dragged on for more than three weeks, fueled by Trump's escalating conflict with his own MAGA base. Zoom in: Buyer's remorse appears especially concentrated among Gen Z voters, whose extraordinary shift toward Trump in 2024 spawned existential panic inside the Democratic Party. Trump's net approval rating among 18- to 29-year-olds has plummeted to -40 since inauguration, down from roughly even, according to pollster G. Elliott Morris. Reality check: Unhappiness with Trump hasn't turned into popularity for Democrats. In a CNN poll out last week, just 28% of Americans had a favorable view of the Democratic Party — the low point in more than 30 years of CNN polling. Basically, everyone dislikes everyone and everything. Between the lines: Some of Trump's unpopularity reflects the law of thermostatic public opinion — voters demand change, then flinch when it arrives too fast or too hard, Axios' Zachary Basu notes. Take immigration: With the border having gone quiet, scrutiny has turned to Trump's interior crackdown and the deportation of non-criminal migrants — including hundreds of thousands of noncitizens who are here legally and have lived in the U.S. for years. MAGA hardliners may love the public spectacle of "Alligator Alcatraz." But for many middle-ground voters — including podcaster Joe Rogan — the optics are too much to stomach. In other cases, Trump set lofty expectations that haven't been met. The war in Ukraine, which Trump promised to end within 24 hours of taking office, rages on. So does the war in Gaza. And in a remarkable break with isolationist allies, Trump joined forces with Israel last month to bomb Iran's nuclear program. His pledge to " rapidly drive prices down" has also hit roadblocks: Inflation ticked up in June, complicating the Fed's path to rate cuts even before a new era of global tariffs kicks in next month. Trump's botched promise not to touch Medicaid could haunt the GOP for years: 10 million people are projected to lose health coverage over the next decade because of the megabill's steep cuts to federal health spending, according to the Congressional Budget Office. CBO says that over the next decade, the megabill is expected to add at least $3 trillion to the national debt that Republicans once cared so much about. Behind the scenes: In private, Trump gripes about not getting sufficient credit for defying expectations and historic norms. He's imposing his will on the nation — yet the media and even MAGA fixate on the blemishes. But what if his ideas are authentically unpopular? A longtime Trump adviser told us the president's view is: Why don't they trust me? What more can I do? What to watch: Trump aides are making extensive plans to showcase popular parts of the megabill — notably tax-cut extensions, plus new tax deductions for tips and overtime, and auto-interest loans for new vehicles assembled in the U.S. But Republicans are having trouble selling the package's popular provisions because the Epstein saga has taken over. House Republicans tell Axios' Alex Isenstadt their constituents are fixated on Epstein, not the bill. Trump lamented Tuesday on Truth Social: "We had the Greatest Six Months of any President in the History of our Country, and all the Fake News wants to talk about is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax!" The bottom line: Trump advisers tell us that what will matter for the long run is how the economy is treating everyday Americans when it comes time for midterm voting in 2026, and the choice of Trump's successor in 2028.
Indianapolis Star
12 hours ago
- Health
- Indianapolis Star
An Indiana hospital cut medical services. A new DNC billboard blames President Trump
A new billboard on the southeast side of Columbus paid for by the Democratic National Committee blames President Donald Trump for recent medical service cuts at Columbus Regional Health and is part of a multi-state campaign to show Trump-voting communities what the party views as negative effects to rural health care in the 'One Big Beautiful Bill.' The Indiana billboard, which was installed July 22, is one of four billboards the DNC unveiled addressing hospitals that are closing or cutting medical services across the country. In addition to Indiana, the DNC launched billboards in Missouri, Oklahoma and Montana. A spokesperson told IndyStar the party paid 'four figures' for the Indiana sign. All four billboards are bright yellow with messages in bold black lettering specific to a health care provider in each state. 'Under Trump's watch, Columbus Regional Health is cutting medical services,' the Columbus billboard reads. It directs passersby to a page on the DNC website with state-by-state impacts of the president's tax and spending cuts bill that was signed into law on July 4. Democrats and advocacy groups have decried the large cuts to Medicaid included in the bill through work requirements and an eventual decrease in the cap on provider taxes from 6% to 3.5%. Indiana relies on those taxes, paid by hospitals, to fund its Medicaid expansion program known as the Healthy Indiana Plan. Columbus Regional Health on June 30, prior to the bill's passage, announced it would close its inpatient rehabilitation unit and outpatient orthopedics and sports medicine services, which the organization said was due to no longer being able to 'cost-effectively provide inpatient rehab services.' The June announcement said some of the cost concerns are due to rising supply costs, 'legislative scrutiny' and state and federal funding cuts. In a statement to IndyStar on July 22, Columbus Regional Health said it was unaware of the DNC billboard and did not provide permission to be referenced. 'Recently, Columbus Regional Health made the announcement of service line and practice closings related to increasing financial constraints and burdens our health system is currently facing," the statement reads. 'These difficult decisions were made under consideration of the many challenges and risks facing not just CRH – but many hospitals, health systems, and medical providers statewide and nationally – in order to remain financially viable.' A $50 billion fund to support rural hospitals was added to the Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" toward the end of negotiations between lawmakers to appease senators who were concerned about the size of the proposed Medicaid cuts. But some health policy groups say it's likely not enough to help ease the impact of federal funding losses from the changes to Medicaid in the bill. Indiana could receive some amount of money from $25 billion of the rural health fund dedicated to states that submit applications with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The CMS Administrator is expected to have flexibility to distribute the other $25 billion. Taxes to Medicaid: 4 ways Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' could impact Hoosiers A June letter to Republican leaders from four Senate Democrats argued that Trump's tax and spending cuts bill would put 12 rural Indiana hospitals "uniquely at risk" of closure or cutting services. But the letter, based on data from the Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina, was sent out before the rural fund was added to the bill. An analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation, though, found that the rural health fund only offsets about one third of the federal Medicaid funding rural areas around the country are expected to lose under the bill. Scott Tittle, the president of the Indiana Hospital Association, said in a statement to IndyStar that he is also concerned the rural fund will not be enough to cover expected losses for hospitals in Indiana and that the fund itself is temporary. 'There is no additional assistance following the end of the OBBBA's five-year period,' Tittle said in the statement. In a news release about the billboards, DNC chair Ken Martin said Trump 'put the last nail in the coffin for rural hospitals' and that Trump's voters 'will suffer the most.' Nearly 63% of voters in Bartholomew County, where Columbus is located, voted for Trump in the 2024 presidential election. "After blowing a lethal hole in rural hospital funding, Republicans are about to find out that their flimsy funding band-aid won't be enough to protect them from voters' righteous anger,' Martin said. 'These new DNC billboards plainly state exactly what is happening to rural hospitals under Donald Trump's watch.' Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Trump hails GOP wins, unveils bold plan to cut drug prices and touts new Japan trade deal
At a high-profile reception with Republican lawmakers, US President Donald Trump announced a bold plan to lower prescription drug prices by targeting foreign suppliers with import restrictions. Framing it as a fight for American consumers, Trump pledged to cut medication costs. He also touted his 'One Big Beautiful Bill' as historic for tax cuts, spending cuts, and border security. Additionally, he highlighted a new LNG trade deal with Japan, calling it a major economic win. Show more Show less
