510 Comments

Brava, Heather, and thank you for this brilliant overview of today’s highlights! I feel terrible though that because of the significance of this news you didn’t give yourself a Sunday off to rest and get an early night ... perhaps tomorrow.

A perfect conclusion.

“At a time when authoritarians are trying to demonstrate that democracies cannot function nearly as effectively as the rule of an elite few, he is proving them wrong. 

This is a very big deal indeed.”

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Dems need to shout this victory from our rooftops nationwide! Equally worthy of publicity is the complete nay votes by obstructionist Republicans.

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Congratulations to the Democrats and to the Biden White House. It is not perfect, but it is a big step forward. And it got done despite the political land mines. A good start to the upcoming season.

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It has to pass the House.

Please everybody, listen to Trump's CPAC speech. He spoke of instituting a theocratic police state. And the crowd cheered. Tent city reeducation camps on cheap real estate outside major Democratic run cities. Executive authority expanded to purge the civil service. A hollowed out legislature and judiciary. An expanded military - getting rid of LGBTQ service people, forced rehiring of the dishonorably discharged. An Orban state with participatory government in name only. A Potemkin village democracy.

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Thank you Heather.

Good news indeed. Not bad from an old guy with COVID. He is getting the job done.

That's what matters.

Be safe. Be well.

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I am pleased that the Dems could compromise among themselves, and thankful for the tiebreaker. A word about limiting insulin to $35: if this were imposed on private insurers they would just raise their rates to cover their losses. Clearly, we need to expand Medicare to accept younger and younger people. Only when we have truly universal coverage will everyone actually benefit. As a retired primary care doc, I can make that statement and dare anyone to refute it! Snort.

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Not one f***ing republican voted for this. NOT ONE! ‘Nuff said

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This combined with the Kansas abortion vote will increase the numbers of grass roots activists and their level of intensity going into the November elections. Here in NY CD 19, where we have an incredibly complex congressional race, the Democratic County committees are more active and focused than I have ever seen them. Do it like they did in Kansas.

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There is the tortoise and the hare! This is the tortoise bill. If finally came through, showing that real government is working tirelessly until you get the job done. I certainly voiced my opinion to the White House plenty of times along the way as I am sure many did, saying let go of this and that, and compromise. Trump may think that he knows the art of the deal, but his game is the art of the steal! This is the art of the deal. The finesse with which this was done is really impressive. I was not sure whether Manchin or Sinema could be included in a vote, but the advantage here is that they are still considering themselves as democrats even if they have not seemed to be anything other than self serving. It has taken a lot to bring everyone on board and I have a lot of respect for everyone for making it work. This bill means a better life for a lot of people on this planet. Hip hip Hurrah!

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Good news indeed. And if the Dems can sell it and win few more seats in November maybe they can go back for the rest of the package. Do not think that two more senators will do it. There are I believe several senators who were more than happy to let Manchin and Sinema take the heat. The word moderate makes me laugh. The reason American cannot have nice things are the moderate Democrats in the pay of corporations like their Republican counterparts. If the Dems would run on a Bernie/AOC platform that would bring America into the 20th century and maybe inch them into the 21st, they might win all the marbles. But the DNC and all the Moderate Dems are as dead set against that as the Republicans. Incrementalism is like getting a 3% raise when inflation is 8%. Why the need for bipartisanship? The governing party is elected to govern and the Opposition is elected to oppose, so why water stuff down or feel proud of bipartisanship?

Why do I care? Because the Christofascists are already across the line into Canada, funded by the same billionaires funding it in America. I hope every American will vote Blue this fall.

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Per HHS Secretary, Xavier Becerra, the Bill has $2000 cap on annual out-of- pocket ( OOP) Medicare costs; that is huge relief for to oncology patients being treated or in remission actually for all Patients now that Medicare can negotiate prices.

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The campaign ads write themselves:

43 Republicans voted to deny YOU affordable insulin. 50 Republicans voted to stop jobs, an d leave the deficit alone, despite the fact the 52% of Republican voters, 78% of Indepenents and 92% of Democrats support the provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Are these people representing YOUR interests?

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Some light. And always your excellent context.

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Guess it wouldn’t be nice to say “May leader McConnell choke on his words “ maybe I will settle for him having to eat them down the road when this bill is proven to be a great for all.

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I second the "brava", the thanks, and the hope that you give yourself a day's leisure tomorrow. Genuine Leisure.

And I ask of the rest of you--what happened to the moderate/more liberal Republicans? Susan Collins of Maine, for example, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska? What were their objections? And, perhaps silly for me to ask, but I do care, did they make their votes with integrity?

Sleep well and may the gods bless us all, the not so-united states of america, all Homo sapiens, and all life on earth.

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Gratitude, Heather.

I'm continuing to wonder who purchased Sinema. Seems like we, the citizens, could know who bought her, given the damage she does to progress. Certainly about filthy lucre.

Manchin, we know--he is greedy, in cahoots with big oil, wants more money from coal, cares nothing about the world his children and grandchildren will inhabit. A tiny brain focused on more filthy lucre.

Blessings upon us all!

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