Letters from an American - July 2, 2025

Episode Date: July 3, 2025

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The Senate's passage of its version of the budget reconciliation bill yesterday sent House members rushing back to Washington today to debate passing what the Senate had sent them. The bill is hugely unpopular. It cuts taxes for the wealthiest Americans and corporations and slashes Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, energy credits, and other programs that help the American people, while also pouring money into immigration and customs enforcement and detention facilities for migrants. While Democratic representatives are united against the measure,

people from across the country are flooding lawmakers with calls and demonstrations against the bill in hopes of swaying Republicans. At the office of Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican of Pennsylvania, hundreds of his constituents held a die-in to demonstrate how cuts to health care in the bill would affect them. Far-right Republicans think the bill doesn't make steep enough cuts. Republicans from swing districts recognize that supporting it will badly hurt both their

constituents and their hopes of reelection. But Trump has demanded Congress pass the measure before July 4th, an arbitrary date he seems to have chosen because of its historical significance. A new element in the Republicans calculation emerged a few days ago as billionaire Elon Musk re-entered the fight over the measure warning he would start a new political party over it. He has threatened to run primary challengers against lawmakers who vote yes, a threat that is a counterweight to Trump's threat

to run primary challengers against lawmakers who vote no. Already, Musk has claimed to be donating to the reelection campaign of Representative Thomas Massey, a Republican of Kentucky, an outspoken opponent of the bill. Representative Sean Caston, a Republican of Kentucky, an outspoken opponent of the bill. Representative Sean Caston, a Democrat of Illinois, wrote today about the dysfunction on the House floor. A functioning House leadership team would work the members, make changes as necessary,

and bring this bill to the floor once they knew they could pass it. But Speaker Mike Johnson does not run a functional House leadership team. He does what Daddy says, and Daddy said pass it before July 4th. This morning, the House took a procedural vote, but recognizing that they did not have the votes to pass the bill itself, Republican leadership refused to close the vote. Later, House leadership held another vote open for more than two hours when they could not win it. When Representative Joe Noguiz, a Democrat of Colorado,

challenged this trick, the chair told him that the rules established a minimum time for votes, but no maximum. To find the votes Republicans need to pass the bill, Trump met today with those expected to vote no. Riley Rogerson and Reese Gorman of Notice reported that at a meeting with some of the swing state Republican holdouts, Trump seemed to believe the lie that the bill doesn't

cut Medicaid. Three sources told the reporters, Trump told Republicans they shouldn't touch Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security if they want to win elections. But we're touching Medicaid in this bill. One of the members at the meeting answered. Trump also met with far-right members, but because the Senate measure must pass the House unchanged, he can offer them little except to promise they will fix the bill after it passes. While that appeared to work on at least one representative, offer them little except to promise they will fix the bill after it passes. While that appeared to work on at least one representative, Representative Tim

Burchett, a Republican of Tennessee, told the notice reporters, now we're having to once again hear the line, let's pass this and then we'll fix it later. And we never fix it later, and America knows that. Political journalist Judd Legum of Popular Information posted, to review, Trump spent all day rounding up votes for his mega bill. Trump did not round up enough votes. So the plan was just to start voting and bully anyone who votes no until they switch their vote. It could work. Democrats called out Republicans from swing districts, listing the numbers of their constituents who will lose health care insurance if the measure

passes. They urged Republicans to stand up to Donald Trump and to stand up for their constituents. Pennsylvania Representative Fitzpatrick faced the die-in at his office and was also so angry at today's news Trump is withholding weapons already pledged to Ukraine that he wrote to Trump today warning that Ukraine is holding the line for the entire democratic world and asking for an emergency briefing on the decision to withhold aid. He voted no on a key procedural vote tonight. Just after 10 o'clock tonight, NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Melanie Zanona reported, Republicans are trying to locate Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, who delivered a surprising

no vote on the mega bill rule, likely to try to flip him. I told a member I saw him bolt out of the chamber and leave the area. Smart, the member said. As of midnight, the Republicans did not have the votes to advance the measure. Representative Maxwell Frost, a Democrat of Florida, posted, Speaker Johnson should just take the L on this vote. Most of America doesn't want this bill to pass anyways. It's both the worst and the most unpopular piece of legislation in modern history. On Blue Sky, user Shawna wrote,

Say what you will about former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. As one of her constituents, believe me, I have. She'd have impaled herself with a gavel live on the House floor before she'd have allowed this sh-t show of a vote on her watch as Speaker. Letters from an American was written and read by Heather Cox Richardson. It was produced at Soundscape Productions, Dead in Massachusetts. Recorded with music composed by Michael Moss. Thank you.