#Obamacare Repeal

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Ed Kilgore at NY Intelligencer:

As you probably know, we’re beginning the final week of a dead-even presidential contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, with Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes being the most desperately sought prize by both campaigns. Team Trump is already having a difficult week in the Keystone State thanks to a crude racist joke about Puerto Rico that one of Trump’s comedian buddies told at his wild Madison Square Garden rally, which is not going over well among the pivotal bloc of Puerto Rican voters in northeastern Pennsylvania. Now, Harris has gotten a helping hand in the same vicinity from none other than House Speaker Mike Johnson, as NBC News reports:

[House Speaker Mike Johnson took a dig at Obamacare during an event in Pennsylvania on Monday, telling a crowd there will be “massive” health care changes in America if Donald Trump wins the election. “Health care reform’s going to be a big part of the agenda. When I say we’re going to have a very aggressive first 100 days agenda, we got a lot of things still on the table,” Johnson, R-La., said in Bethlehem while campaigning for GOP House candidate Ryan Mackenzie, according to video footage obtained by NBC News. “No Obamacare?” one attendee asked Johnson, referring to the law Democrats passed in 2010, also known as the Affordable Care Act. “No Obamacare,” Johnson responded, rolling his eyes. “The ACA is so deeply ingrained, we need massive reform to make this work and we got a lot of ideas on how to do that.”]

Health care is not at all an issue Trump wants Republicans talking about. The effort to repeal Obamacare was one of the less popular initiatives of his presidency and, not coincidentally, one of his biggest failures. It’s also one of the areas where Harris has outpolled him. He added to his problems during the September debate with his rival when he could cite only “the concepts of a plan” for replacing Obamacare despite having allegedly spent many years on his own yet-to-be-revealed proposal.

Worse yet, Johnson’s remarks very strongly suggest two things that are potentially dangerous to Trump in the eyes of swing voters: (1) He plans to make repealing Obamacare an immediate priority if Trump wins and Republicans control Congress, which likely means it would be rolled into a gigantic budget-reconciliation bill and steamrolled through to passage if possible, and (2) his party’s designs on health-care policy are radical, meant to replace the regulations central to Obamacare’s coverage guarantees with “free market” provisions almost certain to return the health-care system to the days when insurers aggressively discriminated against anyone old, sick, or poor. Johnson’s rhetoric will also give Democrats an opportunity to remind voters that the last ���repeal Obamacare” package aimed to decimate Medicaid, the federal-state health-care program for poor people and a key part of the country’s social safety net

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is vowing to repeal the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) if the Republicans get a trifecta. This is a wakeup call to vote Democratic, especially in the House and the Presidential race.

[tomorrowusa]

Good economic news doesn't always win votes. The electorate is not made up of doctoral candidates who carefully weigh evidence from credible sources and then vote accordingly after pondering the options. 🤣

The reptilian brain plays a greater role in elections than many liberals are comfortable admitting. Don't just say how wonderful your candidate is, get voters to understand that the other candidate is an utter disaster – and don't let up with that message. Repetition is your best friend in political campaigns.

In 2024, what Democrats need to do is remind voters that...

Trump tanked the economy with his horrifically botched response to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did hundreds of thousands of Americans die because of Trump's incompetence, but the US economy went into recession.

The Trump tax breaks for the filthy rich widened the income gap in the US.

Trump eliminated a number of mortgage interest tax deductions and lowered the amount of state and local taxes which people could deduct from federal income tax. This is Trump’s Trillion-Dollar Hit to Homeowners.

Trump used regulations to weaken labor unions to keep wages low.

Trump tried to repeal Obamacare and replace it with nothing.

In short, Trump tried to screw anybody who isn't filthy rich. Several links give more details on how Trump hurt middle class and low income voters...

How Trump Took the Middle Class to the Cleaners

Trump’s Economy: 7 Broken Promises to Working Americans

Two years after Trump tax cuts, middle-class Americans are falling behind

12 Ways the Trump Administration Has Deepened Inequality

And Trump wants to do it all over in a second term...

Trump Revives Plan to Dismantle Obamacare if Elected in 2024

What happens cyclically is that Republicans screw up the economy, lose office as a result, and then complain that Democrats aren't cleaning up the GOP mess fast enough. And we're still cleaning up much of Trump's mess.

[batboyblog]

Things the Biden-Harris Administration Did This Week #33

Sep 6-13 2024

President Biden marked the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Violence Against Women Act and highlighted efforts to stop gender based violence. the VAWA was written by then Senator Biden and he often talks about it as his proudest legislative victory. The act transformed how the federal government dealt with domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In part because of the connection to Joe Biden, President Trump and the Republicans allowed the VAWA to expire in 2019. President Biden passed a new reauthorization, with new protections for women against cyber crime, in 2022. On the VAWA's 30th anniversary President Biden announced $690 million in grants to support survivors of gender-based violence.

President Biden and Vice-President Harris announced a new rule to force insurance companies to treat mental health care the same as medical care. The new rule takes on the use by insurance of restrictive practices like prior authorization, and out of network charges, it also closes a loophole in the law that allowed state and local government health insurance not to cover mental health.

The Biden-Harris administration announced that 50 million Americans, 1 in every 7, have gotten health insurance through Obamacare's marketplaces. Under Biden a record breaking 20.8 million enrolled this year. Since the ACA was passed by President Obama and then Vice-President Biden it has transformed American health care bring affordable coverage to millions and getting rid of "preexisting conditions". During the Presidential debate Vice-President Harris defended the ACA and the need to keep building on it. Trump after 9 years of calling for its repeal said he only had "concepts of a plan" on what to do about health care in America.

The IRS announced that it has recovered $1.3 billion in back taxes from wealthy tax dodgers. For years Republicans have tried to underfund the IRS hindering its ability to police high income tax payers. President Biden in his Inflation Reduction Act ensured that the IRS would have the money it needs to chase high income tax cheats. In February 2024 the IRS launched a program to go after over 100,000 people, making $400,000 or even over $1 million a year who have not filed taxes since 2017. The IRS also launched a program to collect from tax payers who make over $1 million a year who have uncontested debt of over $250,000. Between these two efforts the IRS has collected over a Billion Dollars in back taxes from the richest Americans, so far this year.

The Department of The Interior and White House Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi highlighted green energy efforts on public land. Highlighting two projects planned in Nevada officials talked about the 41 renewable energy projects approved on public land under the Biden-Harris Administration. These projects over 25 gigawatts of clean energy, a goal the Administration's climate plan set for the end of 2025 but met early this year. With the new projects in Nevada this is enough energy to power 12.5 million homes, and the Bureau of Land Management is another 55 utility-scale project proposals across the West.

The Department of The Interior announced $236 million to help fight forest fires and restore landscapes damaged by recent wildfires. Under President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Administration has spent nearly $1.1 billion dollars to combat deadly wildfires which have over the last 10 years grown in size and intensity thanks to climate change.

The Department of The Interior announced $157 million in wetland conservation. The money is focused on protecting bird habitats. It will protect and preserve thousands of acres of wetlands across 7 states.

The US Senate approved President Biden's nominations of Adam Abelson, Jeannette Vargas, Mary Kay Lanthier, and Laura Provinzino to federal judgeships in Maryland, New York, Vermont, and Minnesota respectively. This brings the total number of federal judges appointed by President Biden to 209. When Biden entered office 318 district judges were Republican appointees and 317 Democratic, today 368 are Democratic appointments and just 267 are Republican. President Biden is the first President in history to have the majority of his appointments not be white men and he has appointed more black women to the bench than any President ever.

[chelledoggo]

RIGHT LIKE????

look there are ABSOLUTELY legitimate concerns about Trumps presidency and a lot of things are ABSOLUTELY going to suck.

but like... people think Trump can just wave his hand and bend the government to his will on every single thing.

they think "ohhh he doesn't care about checks and balances he's got enough of his buddies in the white house that he can do whatever."

that's not how one of the longest-surviving constitutions in human history works, buddy.

"but he doesn't care about the constit--" DOESN'T MATTER.

even a lot of republicans (who famously never shut up about how much they wanna make passionate steamy love to the Constitution) are even starting to raise eyebrows about his plans.

if the government alone doesn't stop him than the grievances of enough angry citizens should definitely help in that regard.

the handmaid’s tale is fiction and we can make other comparisons

[unrelaxing]

From a country where voting is not a choice, but a duty, it's interesting seeing American discourse every four years on whether or not voting matters. This year there's an added layer, because Joe Biden has been supporting Israel's genocide against Palestine. Now there's a pervading sentiment - both in and out of the US - that voting for Joe Biden supports Palestinian genocide, and it's an American's moral duty to withhold their vote in support of Palestine.

I guess the question I ask is: how is withholding your vote effective activism?

If you don't vote, and Trump wins, he says he will deport pro-Palestine demonstrators. He says he supports Israel's right to defend itself. If you vote independent, and Trump wins the same thing happens.

If Biden wins, he will continue his support of Israel.

So: Is voting really the battleground for the Palestinian genocide, when either outcome leads down the same road?

And what other battles are being fought in this presidential race?

Gun laws - Biden passed "the most significant gun safety legislation in more than two decades", the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. It includes enhanced background checks for gun purchasers, and prohibits individuals convicted of domestic violence towards a romantic partner from purchasing a gun (wherein the past a 'boyfriend loophole' had existed, wherein the law only applied if an individual was convicted of domestic violence against a spouse or cohabitant). Trump has promised to overturn Biden's new laws.

Healthcare - Uninsured Americans are at an all-time low under Biden's administration, with only 7.6% of Americans being uninsured in the second quarter of 2023. The number of people who signed up to Obamacare in 2024 is at 21.3 million - and Trump plans to repeal it.

Climate change - Biden's Inflation Reduction Act invests 300 billion dollars towards clean energy. Electricity generation from renewable energy sources — including wind, solar and hydropower — surpassed coal-fired generation in the electric power sector for the first time in 2022, making it the second-biggest source behind natural gas generation. At a recent dinner with oil executives and lobbyists, the Republican promised to eliminate Mr Biden's new climate rules and environmental regulations if they donated $1bn to his campaign.

Much has been said about Trump's second term beyond the above three points. @batboyblog posted a very clear and concise graphic on Trump's plans for his second term.

The BBC has also posted about Trump's plans for his second term, which I'll screenshot:

Trump is now a felon, but I was really shocked to learn about how little impact this has on his ability to run as president. His supporters are likely to stay by his side, because they believe in these policies.

Biden does not have the same luxury. I don't think he should have the same luxury. Still, I feel like it's important to point out that Trump and Biden's opinions on Israel and Palestine align, but there are a plethora of other issues they do not align on. As a voter, as an activist, when given two political parties, why would you choose based on the similarities as opposed to the differences?

Ways to help Gaza.

Vetted gofundmes.

Other links to help Palestine.

[robertreich]

The Truth About Trumponomics

Trump and Republicans want to wreck your bank account. Here are 5 things you need to know about Trumponomics.

1.Trump wants tax cuts for the rich, at your expense.

Trump’s tax cuts for the rich and big corporations added about $1.7 trillion to the national debt, with few benefits trickling down to the middle class — in fact, it raised taxes for more than 10 million American families.

Now Trump and Republicans want to make the tax cuts for the rich permanent, blowing up the debt even further. And then they’ll use that debt to justify this:

2. Trump would cut Social Security and Medicare — programs you’ve been paying into!

In every year of his presidency, Trump submitted a budget that tried to cut Social Security and Medicare. And he knows that’s the only way he can even begin to pay for extending his tax cuts for the rich.

3. Trump and his allies are pro-junk fee.

When the Biden administration issued a rule capping credit card late fees at $8, Sen. Tim Scott, a Trump surrogate, tried to overturn it in the Senate. And then a Trump-appointed judge issued a temporary injunction that blocked the rule from taking effect. Eliminating that rule would cost American families an estimated $10 billion a year.

And when the Biden administration required airlines to issue automatic refunds for canceled flights, Trump’s allies in Congress fought to block that too.

When Trump was in office, his administration fought against efforts to rein in airline junk fees.

Corporations nickel and diming us like this makes inflation worse. If Trump gets back in the White House, buckle up for more junk fees.

4. Trump would send health care costs soaring.

Republicans have committed to repealing the Inflation Reduction Act, which would strip Medicare of the ability to negotiate drug prices, and let Big Pharma send the price of insulin and other life-saving medicines back through the roof.

And Trump is still fixated on repealing Obamacare, with no plan to replace it.

TRUMP: Obamacare is a disaster. We’re gonna do something about it.

That would strip coverage from tens of millions of Americans, drive up premiums, and let insurers charge more or deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions.

5, If you’ve got student debt, you’re out of luck with Trump.

In contrast to President Biden, who’s canceled more than $160 billion of student debt so far, Trump is against student debt relief. In his first term, he tried to eliminate the popular Public Service Loan Forgiveness program for people like teachers and nurses, and he’s called the idea of debt relief “unfair.”

What’s unfair, is how student debt hurts not just the roughly 40 million Americans burdened by it, but the entire economy, since Americans with debt have less money to spend, are less likely to start a business, less likely to buy a home, and more likely to rely on government assistance.

The MAGA agenda would make nearly every aspect of your life more expensive, while making the richest Americans even richer.

Teddy Roosevelt’s economic plan was called the Square Deal. Franklin Roosevelt’s was the New Deal.

What Trump is offering is simply a Raw Deal.

[reality-detective]

BOOM!!! President Trump DESTROYS NBC’s Kristen Welker in a 1-Hour 16-Minute Masterclass!

President Trump sat down with NBC’s Kristen Welker, and what unfolded was nothing short of monumental. Over the course of 1 hour and 16 minutes, Trump dismantled her arguments, exposed her hypocrisy, and delivered a masterclass in leadership.

Kristen Welker Exposed!

Welker didn’t come prepared for Trump’s brilliance. She condescended, attempted to spin narratives, and failed miserably at making her points. At one moment, she tried to push for raising the minimum wage, and Trump calmly educated her on basic economics.

Manipulating the Constitution?

In an embarrassing moment, Welker deceptively edited the 14th Amendment, conveniently omitting the critical phrase “and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” while discussing birthright citizenship. Trump, unphased, reminded her of what the Constitution actually says.

On Obamacare: Trump explained that although he wanted to repeal and replace it, he still ran it better than anyone else could have to ensure the country stayed afloat. Welker couldn’t grasp the point, proving once again she’s out of her depth.

Double Standards Galore:

Welker lectured Trump about the “weight of his words” while completely ignoring Biden’s open threats against Trump, claiming Biden wasn’t involved in Trump’s legal persecution. The hypocrisy was glaring.

January 6th and Media Hypocrisy:

Welker turned the conversation to Jan. 6, attempting to corner Trump. But his calm and collected response shamed not just her but the entire mainstream media for their biased narrative.

Vaccines and Autism:

Welker contradicted her own network by claiming autism rates haven’t risen, attributing it to improved diagnoses. Yet NBC itself admitted diagnosis improvements don’t fully explain the surge. Trump caught her in the lie.

Trump OWNS Welker:

Trump brilliantly turned the tables, pointing out the corruption in the DOJ and FBI, which operate as rogue agencies serving the elite, not the people. He outlined the proper way to hold them accountable—through Congress and lawful investigations.

This wasn’t just an interview. It was a declaration of dominance by Trump. While the media flounders in bias and lies, Trump continues to expose the truth with clarity and strength. The tide is turning. The storm is here.

We’ve waited for years… and now it’s here. The Deep State’s downfall has begun, and nothing can stop it now.

It's about to get real 🤔

If you want to watch the video 👇

[bobcatmoran]

Vance is asked whether he can guarantee Americans with pre-existing conditions won't lose their health insurance under Trump's "concepts of a plan."

He says that under Trump, prescription drug prices fell. Under Harris (who totally set drug prices) it rose. Trump's plans have salvaged Obamacare. He could've destroyed the program, but preserved it.

This is 900 shades of super duper false. He spent so much time trying to dismantle it.

Walz was IN CONGRESS when the ACA was passed, so he knows it. He's from a big healthcare industry state. He points out that Trump repeatedly tried to repeal it, and would've succeeded if not for John McCain. He outlines how it was before the ACA, and how BAD it was. "My 4th grade students would never have given me that."

[mariacallous]

It’s the most startling thing I’ve seen in this year’s presidential campaign – the astoundingly large gap between how young men and young women plan to vote this November. Among women under age 30, an overwhelming 67% plan to vote for Kamala Harris, while just 29% say they’ll back Donald Trump. But among young men, a majority – 53% – plan to vote for Trump, while 40% say they’ll support Harris, according to a New York Times/Sienna College poll. That’s an astonishing 51-percentage-point gender gap.

It’s easy to understand why so many young women favor Harris – she has an inspiring life story, champions reproductive freedom and would break the biggest glass ceiling of all by becoming the first female president. But I’m mystified why so many young men back Trump.

Many of them seem to like Trump’s machismo. They like that he talks tough. They see him as an icon of traditional manhood. But all this raises an unavoidable question: should Trump be looked to as an icon of manhood considering that he boasted of grabbing women’s genitals, was found liable for sexual assault and had an affair with an adult film star soon after his wife gave birth? That shouldn’t be anyone’s model of manhood.

Many young men seem to admire Trump’s king-of-the-jungle vibe: he roars, he bellows, he boasts that no one can ever beat him (unless they cheat). But when you cut through Trump’s tough talk and look at the record, it becomes clear that Trump did very little for young men in his four years as president.

Whoops, I should note that if you’re a young man making more than $1m a year, Trump did do a lot for you, thanks to his colossal tax cuts for the richest 1%. But for the more than 99% of young men who don’t make $1m a year, sorry, Trump didn’t do diddly for you, other than cut your taxes a wee bit, a tiny fraction of the tax cuts that he gave to the richest Americans.

I recognize that many young men feel uncomfortable about the Democratic party, partly because some Democrats unfortunately treat men as a problem – and sometimes as the problem. If the Democrats were smart, they’d see that young men – like every other group in society – have problems that they need help with, problems like affording a home, finding a good-paying job, obtaining health insurance, affording college and having enough money to raise a family.

Regardless of how you feel about Harris, the truth is that her policies will do far more for young men than Trump’s policies will. It’s not even close. She is serious about lifting up young men and young women, and she has plans to do so.

Unlike Trump, Harris will help with soaring rents and home prices. She has pledged to build 3m new homes to help drive down housing prices. In another big step to make housing more affordable, she plans to give a $25,000 subsidy to first-time home buyers. Unlike Trump, Harris is also attacking the problem of high grocery prices – she has promised to crack down on price-gouging at the supermarket.

For many young men, health coverage and high health costs are a problem. On those matters, Trump will only make things worse. He has repeatedly promised to repeal Obamacare. That would be a disaster for millions of young men and women because they would no longer be able to be on their parents’ health plan until age 26. What’s more, repealing Obamacare will push up healthcare prices.

Many young people complain about their mountains of student debt. Trump won’t help on that; he has condemned the idea of forgiving student loans. In contrast, Harris wants to expand Biden’s debt cancellation program, which is hugely popular with young Americans. What’s more, Trump backed huge cuts in student aid – a move that would make it harder for young people to afford college. Harris is eager to make college more affordable by increasing student grants. Not only that, she is looking to what Tim Walz, her running mate, has done as Minnesota’s governor. He has made Minnesota’s state universities and community colleges free for students from middle-class and lower-income families.

If you’re a young man frustrated by how little your job pays, you should know that Trump – doing a big favor for his corporate allies – did nothing to raise the $7.25-an-hour federal minimum wage. Harris strongly supports raising the minimum wage.

Trump has made two big promises to make your life more affordable. Without giving details, he says he will cut auto insurance prices nationwide in his first 100 days in office. He also says he will cut energy and electricity prices in half during his first year in office. If you believe those far-fetched promises, then you’ll probably believe me when I say I have a bridge to sell you.

If you’re a young father or if you hope to have a family someday, you should know that Harris’s policies will do far more for you than Trump’s. Recognizing how expensive it is to raise a family, Harris has called for creating a children’s tax credit of $3,000 per child per year and $6,000 for a newborn.

To improve work-family balance, Harris has long pushed to enact paid family and medical leave so that people can take much-needed paid time off to spend with their newborns or care for sick parents or children. (Most Republicans oppose a paid leave law because their corporate donors oppose it.) Trump doesn’t have similar pro-family policies – his main policy proposals are huge tax cuts for corporations and the ultra-rich and large tariffs on imports that will dangerously push up inflation.

Although many young Americans don’t realize it, Biden and Harris have worked hard to create good-paying jobs for those who don’t go to college. Biden and Harris fought to enact three important pieces of legislation – an infrastructure bill, a green energy bill and a computer chips bill – that will create about 1m construction jobs, factory jobs and other jobs across the US, many of them unionized jobs with strong benefits.

If you’re one of the many young people at Starbucks, REI, Apple or elsewhere who support unionizing as a way to increase your pay and improve your working conditions, you should know that Harris is a strong supporter of unions and enthusiastically backs legislation to make it easier to unionize. But billionaire Trump dislikes labor unions. When he was president, he and his appointees did dozens of things, large and small, to weaken unions and create roadblocks for workers seeking to unionize.

There’s no denying that Trump’s tough talk makes many young men feel good. But tough talk is cheap. It won’t help anyone pay the rent, afford college or raise a family. Harris doesn’t talk as tough as Trump, but her record and her policies make undeniably clear that she will do far more for America’s young men and women than Trump will.

I don't agree with every point he makes here, and I also don't think a lot of young men are voting based on rational and objective things like whose policies will benefit them most. But I still thought this was an interesting read.

[scottguy]

"Replace" means ELIMINATE first.

Then he/they won't ever ACTUALLY replace it because the old system (pre Obamacare law) that allowed insurance companies to legally deny coverage to people with "pre-existing conditions" (diabetes, cancer, or ANY long term illness) was even more insanely profitable. If you had coverage and THEN got sick they could legally refuse to re-enroll you next year. Also, there were caps on what insurance could pay. With today's massively inflated prices you could hit that cap in a few months.

So Ron Desantis wants you to die in the street so his wealthy buddies in healthcare can take your money and run.

EVERYONE gets sick eventually. Be careful what you vote for it could cost you EVERYTHING. (Your house then your life.)

🖕🤡

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Oliver Willis at Daily Kos:

On the issue of immigration, Trump once again claimed he would end birthright citizenship. Birthright citizenship has been a part of American law for 156 years, since 1868, and the adoption of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The law gives people born in the country automatic citizenship if they are born on U.S. soil or if at least one parent is a U.S. citizen at the time of their birth. Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker that he planned to abolish this right on the first day of his presidency. When Welker noted that it is a constitutional right, Trump said, “Well, we’re going to have to get a change, maybe have to go back to the people but we have to end it.” No matter the meager size of Trump’s electoral victory, getting rid of this bedrock American right cannot be done via an executive order and a constitutional change requires an involved multi-state process that historically has taken years. The last time an amendment was made official was 1992 and the amendment in question, the 27th Amendment (regulating congressional pay) was introduced in 1789—a 202-year gap.

Related to immigration, Trump also said that he would not just push to deport undocumented immigrants, but entire families. Asked about families where children are legally in the United States while living with undocumented parents, Trump said, “I don’t want to be breaking up families, so the only way you don’t break up the family is if you keep them together, and you have to send them all back.” Trump isn’t even being consistent with his own actions. It was under his first presidency that U.S. immigration policy was changed so that families were separated at the border. The policy created enormous international and domestic criticism, and the Biden administration has spent all four years of its existence trying to reunite those families. When he first ran for president in 2016, Trump ran on a platform of repealing the Affordable Care Act and promised he would reveal a replacement. He never did. Asked by Welker about health care on Sunday, Trump still had nothing to offer. “We have the concepts of a plan that will be better,” Trump said, repeating the phrase that was widely mocked after most agreed he lost the presidential debate to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Donald Trump went on NBC’s Meet The Press Sunday, in which he called for the repeal of birthright citizenship and deportation of entire families, including those that have undocumented immigrants and US citizens in the family.

[unsoundedcomic]

Does the task of starting a whole new comic seem daunting? It's such a big job and commitment!

It is! But I'm always ready to give it my best shot, if circumstances allow for it.

And they might not, if I'm honest. If the Republicans take the White House, Trump will move to repeal Obamacare/the ACA like he did in 2017. John McCain is too dead to stop it a second time, so me and a lot of other independent artists will lose our healthcare. That could put an end to Unsounded pretty definitively, as I'd have to go out and try to find a corporate job to get insurance.

So, ya know, like art and artists? Like your ACA healthcare? Consider voting for Harris.

[zeamaysblog]

I just watched AOC's "What's Happening & How You Can Take Action" video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVgNJf6CsBA) and thought it was really impactful, so much so I decided to write up a summary of the insights, which I figured I might as well share with you all. Executive Orders are not that powerful: For all the Executive Orders being signed, know that they're not actually as powerful as they might seem. Congress can block Executive Orders, courts can block Executive Orders (you might have heard of this being done for the EO ending birthright citizenship), and they're essentially more limited in scope/permanence than actually signed laws. In fact, much of the EOs Trump has signed are meaningless or completely unconstitutional, which is not a pointless distinction, because as mentioned before, courts are blocking these EOs. Fascist dictators thrive on perceived power instead of actual power. They want to "flood the zone," pump out so much terrible nonsense the populace becomes overwhelmed and docile. Don't believe them, don't become docile and don't consent in advance. The reason Trump is using Executive Orders instead of actual laws is because he knows he only has a slim majority in the House (218R-215D, ie 2R's could flip a vote, 2 vacancies in FL to be voted on 4/1, 1 R departure in NY-21 to be up for another special election)/Senate (53R-47D/I, ie 4R's could flip a vote), and he doesn't want his perceived power to crumble, such as when 3 GOP Senators John McCain, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski blocked an Obamacare Repeal Bill "Health Care Freedom Act" from going through in 2017. Action Being Done by Democrats: Apparently Trump did a bunch of stuff while Congress was on recess, and they only got back in session Feb 5th, which was why there hasn't been much news from democrats. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries recently released a 10 objectives plan for House Democrats to obstruct the administration: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25511884-jeffries-dear-colleague-feb-3-2025/ What You Can Do: While I'm sure we're all positively exhausted with everything going on, at a minimum, you can know your rights regarding ICE Raids (https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights): Don't let them in without a Judicial warrant signed by a Judge, don't answer their questions even if you are a citizen, don't talk to them without a lawyer. If you have extra energy, you can:

Educate people on their rights by printing up Know Your Rights Cards (https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/services/immigration-know-your-rights) to hand out

Contact your Representatives urging them to obstruct Trump nominees while Elon is invading the Treasury

Help Organize for the Florida special elections 4/1 for the House of Representatives. While it would be difficult for these +30R seats to flip (Note in the Jan 29th Iowa special election for Senate (a state Trump won by +21) actually flipped to Democrats), even switching a +30R district to a +10R district lets Republicans know their policies are unpopular and they should think twice before supporting Trump's policies. Additionally, there will eventually be another special election to fill a House of Representatives Republican vacancy up for grabs in NY-21.

Help Organize for other Swing Elections near you

Contacting your Representatives (https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member): To contact your representatives, you can make a short 2 min phone call to their office, which will either be picked up by a staffer or go to voicemail. Representatives listen to phone calls when trying to get a sense of what their constituents care about, but other forms of contact (email, text, etc) are by and large ignored. Additionally, you should say where you live, because representatives only care about what their constituents think, not outside people. Note that the voicemails only record up to 2 min so be brief. You can find your representatives phone numbers at https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member To express your views to your representatives, the format goes like this: "Hi, my name is [Name] and I live in [City, State, Zip Code]. I wanted to ask for your support on [Policy, Bill, etc]. [Anecdote if you have one to be more personalized]. Thank you for listening, my phone number is [Phone Number] and my email is [Email]." I personally have just called my senators to let them know I want them to vote NO on advancing/approving all Trump nominees, and that I supported them continuing obstructionist actions including the 30hr filibuster against Russ Vought, Trump's Director of the Office of Management and Budget pick. Florida 4/1 Special Elections for 2 House of Representative Members: Summary (https://www.reddit.com/r/VoteDEM/comments/1igu4if/floridas_2_special_elections_for_us_congress_will/), trying to elect Gay Valimont (https://gayforcongress.com/) (D) District 1 & Joshua Weil (https://www.joshweil.us/) (D) District 6. You can sign up to volunteer on their websites if you'd like. New York-21 Eventual Special Election for 1 House of Representative Member: Elise Stefanik (R) will be vacating her seat to become the U.N. Ambassador for the Trump administration, after which within 80-90 days a special election will be held for a new House member. While it's somewhat of a pipe dream, if Dems win all 3 of these House seats up for grabs, it puts the House at 218D-217R.

[socialjusticeinamerica]

😡

[bitchesgetriches]

and bitches how do I get sterilized (afab) i thought i might want kids in my 30s but i cant really risk it can i i just dont know what to do

Hi sweetness. I suspect a lot of people are in your boat right now. Personally, I got my first IUD implanted in January of 2017. NOTE THE TIMING. I also had a friend get her tubes tied around that time.

The most important thing to remember is that getting sterilized as an AFAB person is over 99% effective and pretty damn permanent. So if you think you just can't risk getting pregnant SOON, but you might want to SOME DAY... then don't get sterilized. Explore another option. Again, I have an IUD and thoroughly recommend it.

It's a fairly simple out-patient procedure, but as with any surgery, it comes with health risks. Sterilization for AMAB people is slightly less risky. Make sure to take all that into account.

So if you truly want to get sterilized, here's what I (a non-doctor) recommend:

The very first step is to make sure you have a primary care physician and health insurance. Your PCP is the one who will refer you for the surgery. Make an appointment and tell them this:

"I would like to be sterilized via a tubal ligation. I've carefully considered this for a long time, and after doing significant research and discussing it with my loved ones, I've determined it's the best decision for my future."

A lot of people get pushback from their doctors when they request sterilization. That's why you want to make it abundantly clear that this is not a sudden whim, but something you've put serious thought into. And married folks will sometimes be asked to clear it with their spouse first (that happened when my husband requested a vasectomy).

They might try to talk you out of it. They may flat out refuse to refer you. If this happens, just calmly say: "Thank you for your time. Since you won't help me with my healthcare needs, I will be seeking a new primary care physician at this time." Then get yourself a new doctor.

Under the ACA (the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare) the procedure will be completely free with your insurance. That's why it's important to make sure you have health insurance before you request the procedure. The Trump administration is sure to try repealing the ACA again (in his first term, John McCain was literally the deciding vote on overturning the ACA, and he's fucking dead now and congress is full of MAGA sycophants). So you need to work quickly in case your sterilization will no longer be covered.

I strongly recommend you seek more advice from healthcare professionals. @plannedparenthood is also a great resource for everything to do with reproductive healthcare. But this should help you get the ball rolling.

Good luck, my dear. Here's more of our advice:

How to Prepare for a Post-Roe World (Bonus Episode) 

How To Get an Abortion 

How (and Why) to Take Back Reproductive Rights: On Pulling Weeds and Fighting Back 

Did we just help you out? Say thanks with a Patreon donation!

[thedialoguedilemma]

Fact of the Day:

The Affordable Care Act is Obamacare

Obamacare = The Affordable Care Act

THE ACA = Obamacare

THE ACA = The Affordable Care Act = Obamacare

Republicans gave the Affordable Care Act the nickname of Obamacare to shed it in a negative light and to tie it to President Obama.

Republicans have tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act many times and have failed because it’s a VERY popular healthcare policy.

When Republicans say they are planning to repeal Obamacare, they mean they are planning to repeal the Affordable Care Act as in they are repealing this healthcare policy to return it back to the insurance companies skyrocketing costs.