DID YOU CALL YOUR SENATOR TODAY?

[CousinIT]

If you did not, because you didn't, the Senate GOP voted to pass a budget that guts nearly $500 billion from Medicare.

ALL to give HUGE tax cuts to billionaires and corporations who will spend that money ensuring Republicans keep power in 2018 & 2020.

COMPLACENCY. COSTS. LIVES.

[riversedge]

1. great reminder. Will mark it down to call tomorrow.

[CousinIT]

2. Senate GOP voted today. House voted earlier. The way is clear now for them to gut Medicare.

These threads sink like a rock.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029723875

[pnwmom]

3. Do you have a link ? Because I couldn't seem to find anything about a vote like that.

[BigmanPigman]

5. I think this is it.

If it doesn't copy you can find the article at the bottom of the DU Homepage under Breaking News.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/10/19/republicans-have-the-budget-votes-they-need-but-democrats-prepare-to-make-it-painful/?hpid=hp_no-name_no-name%3Apage%2Fbreaking-news-bar&tid=a_breakingnews&utm_term=.89b28ea111f5

[BigmanPigman]

4. I didn't see your post until 2:00 TODAY (CA time).

I was going to call tomorrow since I live in CA and 2:00 was too late to call DC. The tweet from Murphy said to keep replaying it for 3 months...what is going on? Should I call the House (is it already too late?).

[diva77]

6. McCain voted for it

[Duppers]

7. Linky?

Want to send this out but need a link to verify it for "some people." Thanks.

I did find this from Oct. 4:

"Ranking Member Bernie Sanders has released a five-page report showing the Republican plan to cut $473 billion from Medicare and $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade.

Billions would be slashed from Affordable Care Act tax credits, making it easier for Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

The Senate budget plan would take $37 billion out of the National Institutes of Health over the next decade, which would cut funding for Alzheimer's disease, cancer and other critical medical research, the report said."

http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/gop-budget-plan-slashes-473-billion-medicare-1-trillion-medicaid-over-next-decade

[diva77]

8. Washington Post article today 10-19-17 (sorry if someone already posted this)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/10/19/republicans-have-the-budget-votes-they-need-but-democrats-prepare-to-make-it-painful/?hpid=hp_no-name_no-name%3Apage%2Fbreaking-news-bar&tid=a_breakingnews&utm_term=.12a3b7d3f665

Senate approves budget in crucial step forward for Republican tax cuts
By Elise Viebeck October 19

The Senate approved the Republican-backed budget Thursday night, a major step forward for the GOP effort to enact tax cuts.

The budget’s passage will allow the GOP to use a procedural maneuver to pass tax legislation through the Senate with 50 or more votes, removing the need for support from Democratic senators.

“Tonight, we completed the first step toward replacing our broken tax code … We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to replace a failing tax code that holds Americans back with one that actually works for them,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said following the 51-49 vote.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who believes the budget ought to reduce the deficit, was the only Republican to vote against it.

The budget opens the door to expanding the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion over 10 years.

Tax cuts that have become Republicans’ essential policy objective since the Senate failed to pass multiple bills to rewrite Obamacare. Approval of the budget is expected to help shore up ties between Senate GOP leaders and President Trump, who is angry at Republicans’ failure on health care and bent on Congress approving a tax-reform package by the end of the year.

At the same time, by agreeing to the massive tax cut, Senate Republicans have officially moved the party far away from its promised goal of ensuring that the tax plan would not add to the deficit. The White House and House Republicans had vowed that the tax cuts would be offset with new revenue from the elimination of certain deductions, but that is no longer the GOP’s goal. Instead, they have abandoned longstanding party orthodoxy of deficit reduction and are seeking a political win after months of frustration on Capitol Hill.

SNIP
-------
aha - I see that Post #5 has the same link; guess it doesn't hurt to have it posted twice for this issue

[Duppers]

10. Thank you, Diva77.

Yep, I had missed that post. 😞

[Angry Dragon]

9. it is abudget bill not a tax bill

I have Franken and Klobuchar ............ if they voted for it then we are doomed

[CousinIT]

11. LINK HERE:

Senate Approves Budget Plan That Smooths Path Toward Tax Cut

OCT. 19, 2017
WASHINGTON — The Senate took a significant step toward rewriting the tax code on Thursday night with the passage of a budget blueprint that would protect a $1.5 trillion tax cut from a Democratic filibuster.

The budget resolution could also pave the way for opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil exploration by ensuring that drilling legislation can pass with only Republican votes.

Despite having full control of the government, Republicans have so far been unable to produce a marquee legislative achievement in the first year of President Trump’s tenure, putting even more pressure on lawmakers to succeed in passing a tax bill. The budget’s passage could keep Republicans on track to approve a tax package late this year or early in 2018.

As early as next week, the House plans to take up the budget blueprint that the Senate approved on Thursday by a 51 to 49 vote. Doing so would allow for the tax overhaul to move ahead quickly.

Speaker Paul D. Ryan will need most House Republicans to back the blueprint without changes; in the Senate, Rand Paul of Kentucky was the lone Republican to vote against the measure on Thursday, in protest of what he deemed excessive spending. If House Republicans were to insist on negotiating a compromise that melds the Senate and House budget plans, tax legislation could be delayed.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/19/us/politics/budget-vote-senate.html?_r=0

My post the day prior which sank like a rock:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029723875

[LeftInTX]

12. No I didn't............

I was trying to find info about the upcoming vote. I was waiting for a CBO score. They voted for this tripe despite the fact it will increase the deficit by 1.5 trillion. I also thought tax reform was the next thing. This was very sneaky. I expected a few moderates to complain, beforehand but didn't hear a peep.

My focus was on the Murray-Alexander bill. After Trump destroyed Obamacare last week, my focus was on that. And I thought they were only allowed to pass one CBO scored bill per fiscal year and that tax reform was the next one.

This is confusing.....