Here's the real deal. If Democrats manage to take back Congress, will they have the cojones to kill the tax breaks and repeal this bill? Or will they ignore them like they have all of the other tax breaks over the last several decades? We are complaining bitterly now; but will we step up and change it if we get the chance? Or will it be to turn a blind eye?
Much more than repeal will need to be done. We have underfunded the government for decades; we have underfunded social programs, Schools, and most of our other institutions. And we will need serious structural reforms to ensure that this kind of lawlessness never again occurs. And right now, let's hear Democrats stand up and criticize not only the windfall to the rich and the cuts for everyone else but the billions of dollars allocated for the surveillance State
Please excuse my negativity, but we need an entirely new slate of Democratic politicians. We allowed this bill to pass, because we had no strategy for stopping it. It wasn't working to spend every day arguing against MAGA Congressional Republicans in hearings, when few people watch that, and they didn't have the votes to change anything.
They needed to get out of Washington, and go talk to Republicans, Democrats, and Independents in red states like Bernie Sanders was doing. On June 21 AND 22, he was in McAllen, Texas; Shreveport, Louisiana; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, while other Democrats were continuing to argue with Congressional Republicans in Washington, DC.
We had no online presence, except for AOC and Jasmine Crockett, whom Democrat leadership has completely humiliated, and she's going to spend more time in Texas. And, the worse thing is that they have been so respectful to the Republicans who forced this bill through, that it's pathetic. Mike Johnson's state of Louisiana and his House district #4 will be hit harder than almost any other state and district in the country, and they should have slammed him on that in the hearings. The way you fight against these people is up close and personal.
We can't do anything about the tax breaks. Now that they've been voted for, they are permanent. If we had stopped the vote, and gotten rid of them in the bill, many of them would have expired. Our leaders are do-nothing Democrats. And, one of the most popular Democrats in the caucus, Jasmine Crockett, who has millions of followers online, has been so humiliated by Democratic leadership, that she will have less of a presence online, and will spending more time in Texas!
I've read a couple of polls where a significant number of non-MAGA Republican citizens were against this bill. However, their elected representatves voted for the bill because they feared Trump so much that they lacked the cohones to represent the wishes of their constituents. Hopefully, in 2026 those same constituents will run them out of office. They were elected to represent the people, not serve the wishes of a corrupt president. I hope they get what they deserve!
That is probably true, but in the end they will all "come home" and vote Republican again. Perhaps they disagree at this point, but that won't last. I am rather cynical about anyone who supports Republicans at this point, MAGA or non-Maga (whatever that distinction means now).
I do not think that they fear trumpo: this is what the GOP has wished for decades: no taxes for the rich and big donors , no benefits for the common people.
The 2025 Trustees Report, released on June 18th, finds that the Social Security trust fund will no longer be able to make all of its promised benefit payments by 2034, and future deficits between scheduled payroll tax revenue and program expenditures are large and growing.
Another point to call out - over half the members of Congress are millionaires. Darrell Issa (R) has a net worth of 375-525 million. It’s spread evenly between R’s and D’s. This tax break clearly benefits them. Their pensions are excessive and their health insurance far above what most Americans receive. And it’s paid for, of course.
I think it’s important to make these stats widely available. Do MOC’s really relate to the American public?
Publish the names of all the people who voted for this theft whenever bad things happen that can be attributed to it. Every hospital closure. Every nursing home resident put out on the street. We are in Chile in 1975.
I received an email yesterday from SSA supporting the passage of the BBB. Is it lawful for a federal agency to support legislation in this manner? It more than likely went out to all SS recipients.
Now is the best time ever for The Contrarian and the old guard that runs the Democratic Party to look for new approaches, since the approach of 'breaking talking records' has failed miserably
In recent elections, no one has demonstrated a better way to reach new voters, bring fresh ideas and create enthusiasm than Zohran Mamdani.
It is way past time that The Contrarian stops ignoring him.
This article in The New Republic lays it out well - Mamdani ignored the tired assumptions so often made by Democratic candidates and pundits, and was able to motivate young and new voters that has no recent precedent in the Democratic Party:
'You can’t run a Zohran Mamdani in every district in America, but you can run a Zohran Mamdani–style campaign almost everywhere. These are the lessons centrist Democrats in purple areas could stand to learn. Both the electorate and the media environment are changing quickly, and Democrats need to adapt to a new way of doing business. '...
'The electorate isn’t static. There are always new votes to be had, but getting them requires a different approach. Zohran Mamdani gave them one. It’s going to be up to every Democratic candidate to think deeply on this matter and figure out where their new people are going to come from, and what it will take to get their support. '
The Trump tariffs & One Big Beautiful Bill impose the biggest redistribution of income from the poor to the rich in U.S. history. The bottom ten percent of households would see an average reduction of more than 6.5 percent in incomes while those at the top would see an increase of nearly 1.5 percent (several $100,000s/yr for the top!%). Yale Budget Lab 6/13/25 https://budgetlab.yale.edu/research/combined-distributional-effects-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-and-tariffs
Did anyone else get an email from Social Security this evening? I'm not sure if it is spam or if it is Trump administration propaganda. If SSA is indeed sending this out, the Democrats need to call them on it fast: I've pasted the text into the rest of this post.
"Social Security Applauds Passage of Legislation Providing Historic Tax Relief for Seniors
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is celebrating the passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill, a landmark piece of legislation that delivers long-awaited tax relief to millions of older Americans.
The bill ensures that nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay federal income taxes on their benefits, providing meaningful and immediate relief to seniors who have spent a lifetime contributing to our nation's economy.
“This is a historic step forward for America’s seniors,” said Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano. “For nearly 90 years, Social Security has been a cornerstone of economic security for older Americans. By significantly reducing the tax burden on benefits, this legislation reaffirms President Trump’s promise to protect Social Security and helps ensure that seniors can better enjoy the retirement they’ve earned."
The new law includes a provision that eliminates federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for most beneficiaries, providing relief to individuals and couples. Additionally, it provides an enhanced deduction for taxpayers aged 65 and older, ensuring that retirees can keep more of what they have earned.
Social Security remains committed to providing timely, accurate information to the public and will continue working closely with federal partners to ensure beneficiaries understand how this legislation may affect them."
This has to be a scam. There is no elimination of SS taxes in the Big Ugly Bill. I would be a little nervous about how they have my contact information and have used it to send out a false letter.
I received it. It is similar to other communications I’ve gotten from SSA (appears legit) except for the outright lie about most people not paying taxes of social security income. I did not initially question whether it came from SSA because of its boastfulness and timing. Sounds/feels like Trump. But I am surprised that SSA would spread disinformation like this. It crosses a line—seems criminal, actually. I noticed the small type at the end saying “disseminated at taxpayer expense.” I’m contacting my elected reps about this.
It’s hard to tell what this bill changes, but it seems there are some tax advantages for seniors meeting certain income criteria. The bigger issue is the SS trust fund is running out of money, and the deficit and overall MAGA policies including tariffs make everything more costly, so either payments don’t keep up with increased costs of living, or the trust fund runs out even sooner than 2033.
I agree that this brutal bill does not address the issue of the trust fund running out. The Republicans want Social Security to fail as part of their dismantling of government. My concern is if official government communications are being used for propaganda purposes to claim what is false, or if DOGE compromised our data for scammers.
I am concerned about this too. Many reports say that DOGE is combining data bases so that they have information on everyone. And who would put it past the Trump administration to use it to send out propaganda? One more awful action of this group of hooligans!
I don't think it is a scam. Just another typical break the norm of what should be nonpartisan SS.
Robert Hubbell on his substack noted that this SS tax break expires in 2028 (timed for after the election) and does not automatically renew. By contrast, the billionaire tax breaks are good for 10 years.
The U.S. debt is $35.5 trillion—123% of GDP, a number beyond being even reasonably insane. Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” adds $4 trillion more, mostly to cut taxes for billionaires. When the reckoning comes, Social Security and Medicare—not Wall Street—will take the hit. It's not that MAGAts don’t understand math; it’s that tribal loyalty overrides reality. The question is, are liberals smart enough to realize that moderation and compromise, getting less than what we want, is the only means of winning the conservative votes needed to suspend the limited time that's available to avoid the tragic social consequences that will follow economic disaster?
“Moderation and compromise” can’t be a one way street. MAGA has no interest in either, as this cruel and economically disastrous legislation demonstrates. Democratic Senators offered several “moderate” compromises-such as capping tax breaks at an income (not net worth - income) of $500 million. Republican Senators rejected all Democratic proposals out of hand.
We have reached a point on this 4th of July when every branch of our government is aligned against the interests and futures of a majority of Americans and are collectively, by design or cowardice, ensuring hardships and chaos ahead with a hefty dose of cruelty for entertainment.
We who oppose Trump and MAGA are the American patriots of this moment in history, fighting peacefully for our Republic and for the Trump cult of personality to dissolve so fact-based compromises once again are possible.
Here's the real deal. If Democrats manage to take back Congress, will they have the cojones to kill the tax breaks and repeal this bill? Or will they ignore them like they have all of the other tax breaks over the last several decades? We are complaining bitterly now; but will we step up and change it if we get the chance? Or will it be to turn a blind eye?
Much more than repeal will need to be done. We have underfunded the government for decades; we have underfunded social programs, Schools, and most of our other institutions. And we will need serious structural reforms to ensure that this kind of lawlessness never again occurs. And right now, let's hear Democrats stand up and criticize not only the windfall to the rich and the cuts for everyone else but the billions of dollars allocated for the surveillance State
Please excuse my negativity, but we need an entirely new slate of Democratic politicians. We allowed this bill to pass, because we had no strategy for stopping it. It wasn't working to spend every day arguing against MAGA Congressional Republicans in hearings, when few people watch that, and they didn't have the votes to change anything.
They needed to get out of Washington, and go talk to Republicans, Democrats, and Independents in red states like Bernie Sanders was doing. On June 21 AND 22, he was in McAllen, Texas; Shreveport, Louisiana; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, while other Democrats were continuing to argue with Congressional Republicans in Washington, DC.
We had no online presence, except for AOC and Jasmine Crockett, whom Democrat leadership has completely humiliated, and she's going to spend more time in Texas. And, the worse thing is that they have been so respectful to the Republicans who forced this bill through, that it's pathetic. Mike Johnson's state of Louisiana and his House district #4 will be hit harder than almost any other state and district in the country, and they should have slammed him on that in the hearings. The way you fight against these people is up close and personal.
I could go on and on!
They will if we hold them to it.
We can't do anything about the tax breaks. Now that they've been voted for, they are permanent. If we had stopped the vote, and gotten rid of them in the bill, many of them would have expired. Our leaders are do-nothing Democrats. And, one of the most popular Democrats in the caucus, Jasmine Crockett, who has millions of followers online, has been so humiliated by Democratic leadership, that she will have less of a presence online, and will spending more time in Texas!
How about forming a new party?
Reconstitute & reinvigorate the Democratic Party. Splintering of the Dems brought W & Trump.
Hold every damn one who voted for this out,and especially all the big mouths who said they wouldn’t support it 😡
I've read a couple of polls where a significant number of non-MAGA Republican citizens were against this bill. However, their elected representatves voted for the bill because they feared Trump so much that they lacked the cohones to represent the wishes of their constituents. Hopefully, in 2026 those same constituents will run them out of office. They were elected to represent the people, not serve the wishes of a corrupt president. I hope they get what they deserve!
That is probably true, but in the end they will all "come home" and vote Republican again. Perhaps they disagree at this point, but that won't last. I am rather cynical about anyone who supports Republicans at this point, MAGA or non-Maga (whatever that distinction means now).
I do not think that they fear trumpo: this is what the GOP has wished for decades: no taxes for the rich and big donors , no benefits for the common people.
If they are willing to do this, they are willing to take away Social Security next. Oops, we ran out of money. You are on your own.
The 2025 Trustees Report, released on June 18th, finds that the Social Security trust fund will no longer be able to make all of its promised benefit payments by 2034, and future deficits between scheduled payroll tax revenue and program expenditures are large and growing.
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-real-issues-facing-the-social-security-program-arent-inefficiency-or-fraud/
Do you know who has contributed to Social Security, even if they never get a payout? Immigrants! https://www.cbpp.org/blog/immigrants-contribute-greatly-to-the-social-security-trust-funds-solvency
Of course. The whole idea is to cause a crisis, claim the govt cannot manage it and give it to one of the oligarchs to run.
Another point to call out - over half the members of Congress are millionaires. Darrell Issa (R) has a net worth of 375-525 million. It’s spread evenly between R’s and D’s. This tax break clearly benefits them. Their pensions are excessive and their health insurance far above what most Americans receive. And it’s paid for, of course.
I think it’s important to make these stats widely available. Do MOC’s really relate to the American public?
If we had had a strategy for fighting against this budget, we could have brought up a lot of information. Unfortunately, that point doesn't matter because we have some very rich Democrats in Congress. Here is the list. https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/richest-congress-members-net-worth/
Definitely a betrayal. And for what? To give the wealthy tax breaks?! So little of federal government left now.
Publish the names of all the people who voted for this theft whenever bad things happen that can be attributed to it. Every hospital closure. Every nursing home resident put out on the street. We are in Chile in 1975.
Play this video on fox non- news
Michael, your point is well taken. How do we push for this?
I received an email yesterday from SSA supporting the passage of the BBB. Is it lawful for a federal agency to support legislation in this manner? It more than likely went out to all SS recipients.
I found it political and disturbing.
Now is the best time ever for The Contrarian and the old guard that runs the Democratic Party to look for new approaches, since the approach of 'breaking talking records' has failed miserably
In recent elections, no one has demonstrated a better way to reach new voters, bring fresh ideas and create enthusiasm than Zohran Mamdani.
It is way past time that The Contrarian stops ignoring him.
This article in The New Republic lays it out well - Mamdani ignored the tired assumptions so often made by Democratic candidates and pundits, and was able to motivate young and new voters that has no recent precedent in the Democratic Party:
'You can’t run a Zohran Mamdani in every district in America, but you can run a Zohran Mamdani–style campaign almost everywhere. These are the lessons centrist Democrats in purple areas could stand to learn. Both the electorate and the media environment are changing quickly, and Democrats need to adapt to a new way of doing business. '...
'The electorate isn’t static. There are always new votes to be had, but getting them requires a different approach. Zohran Mamdani gave them one. It’s going to be up to every Democratic candidate to think deeply on this matter and figure out where their new people are going to come from, and what it will take to get their support. '
https://newrepublic.com/article/197247/mamdani-versus-establishment-democrats-cuomo?utm_source=salon-standingroomonly.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=why-maga-fears-aoc&_bhlid=2d1444407fb283d2c40fc46c810b7937049d0059
The Trump tariffs & One Big Beautiful Bill impose the biggest redistribution of income from the poor to the rich in U.S. history. The bottom ten percent of households would see an average reduction of more than 6.5 percent in incomes while those at the top would see an increase of nearly 1.5 percent (several $100,000s/yr for the top!%). Yale Budget Lab 6/13/25 https://budgetlab.yale.edu/research/combined-distributional-effects-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-and-tariffs
Did anyone else get an email from Social Security this evening? I'm not sure if it is spam or if it is Trump administration propaganda. If SSA is indeed sending this out, the Democrats need to call them on it fast: I've pasted the text into the rest of this post.
"Social Security Applauds Passage of Legislation Providing Historic Tax Relief for Seniors
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is celebrating the passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill, a landmark piece of legislation that delivers long-awaited tax relief to millions of older Americans.
The bill ensures that nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay federal income taxes on their benefits, providing meaningful and immediate relief to seniors who have spent a lifetime contributing to our nation's economy.
“This is a historic step forward for America’s seniors,” said Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano. “For nearly 90 years, Social Security has been a cornerstone of economic security for older Americans. By significantly reducing the tax burden on benefits, this legislation reaffirms President Trump’s promise to protect Social Security and helps ensure that seniors can better enjoy the retirement they’ve earned."
The new law includes a provision that eliminates federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for most beneficiaries, providing relief to individuals and couples. Additionally, it provides an enhanced deduction for taxpayers aged 65 and older, ensuring that retirees can keep more of what they have earned.
Social Security remains committed to providing timely, accurate information to the public and will continue working closely with federal partners to ensure beneficiaries understand how this legislation may affect them."
This has to be a scam. There is no elimination of SS taxes in the Big Ugly Bill. I would be a little nervous about how they have my contact information and have used it to send out a false letter.
Probably when DOGE was happily going through all of our information.
You are correct that the bill does not include it, but the Republicans are apparently lying about it.
The Repubs and their prez have lied and continue to lie.
I just got that. Unbelievable. Now we are getting MAGA propaganda through SSA. Disheartening.
I received it. It is similar to other communications I’ve gotten from SSA (appears legit) except for the outright lie about most people not paying taxes of social security income. I did not initially question whether it came from SSA because of its boastfulness and timing. Sounds/feels like Trump. But I am surprised that SSA would spread disinformation like this. It crosses a line—seems criminal, actually. I noticed the small type at the end saying “disseminated at taxpayer expense.” I’m contacting my elected reps about this.
It’s hard to tell what this bill changes, but it seems there are some tax advantages for seniors meeting certain income criteria. The bigger issue is the SS trust fund is running out of money, and the deficit and overall MAGA policies including tariffs make everything more costly, so either payments don’t keep up with increased costs of living, or the trust fund runs out even sooner than 2033.
I agree that this brutal bill does not address the issue of the trust fund running out. The Republicans want Social Security to fail as part of their dismantling of government. My concern is if official government communications are being used for propaganda purposes to claim what is false, or if DOGE compromised our data for scammers.
I am concerned about this too. Many reports say that DOGE is combining data bases so that they have information on everyone. And who would put it past the Trump administration to use it to send out propaganda? One more awful action of this group of hooligans!
Yes! I got that too!
I got one too. I was going to mail it to my political representatives, but I'm so annoyed at them now, that I don't plan to contact them for awhile.
I don't think it is a scam. Just another typical break the norm of what should be nonpartisan SS.
Robert Hubbell on his substack noted that this SS tax break expires in 2028 (timed for after the election) and does not automatically renew. By contrast, the billionaire tax breaks are good for 10 years.
We tried so hard.
Cry.
Then get back at it.
They will not prevail.
The U.S. debt is $35.5 trillion—123% of GDP, a number beyond being even reasonably insane. Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” adds $4 trillion more, mostly to cut taxes for billionaires. When the reckoning comes, Social Security and Medicare—not Wall Street—will take the hit. It's not that MAGAts don’t understand math; it’s that tribal loyalty overrides reality. The question is, are liberals smart enough to realize that moderation and compromise, getting less than what we want, is the only means of winning the conservative votes needed to suspend the limited time that's available to avoid the tragic social consequences that will follow economic disaster?
“Moderation and compromise” can’t be a one way street. MAGA has no interest in either, as this cruel and economically disastrous legislation demonstrates. Democratic Senators offered several “moderate” compromises-such as capping tax breaks at an income (not net worth - income) of $500 million. Republican Senators rejected all Democratic proposals out of hand.
We have reached a point on this 4th of July when every branch of our government is aligned against the interests and futures of a majority of Americans and are collectively, by design or cowardice, ensuring hardships and chaos ahead with a hefty dose of cruelty for entertainment.
We who oppose Trump and MAGA are the American patriots of this moment in history, fighting peacefully for our Republic and for the Trump cult of personality to dissolve so fact-based compromises once again are possible.