I think that I found the full text of the One Big Beautiful Bill recently passed by Congress, but I can’t figure out what is in it. Has anyone here dived into this Tolstoy-scale document? I assume that whatever we read about this in the media is a lie. For example, we’ve been told that the bill cuts taxes so I assume that tax rates will either be the same or maybe increased, at least via inflation (every year with inflation means more fictitious capital gains taxes are owed and also more taxpayers ensnared by the Obamacare NIIT). We’ve been told that the bill cuts Medicaid so I assume that Medicaid spending will increase and that the eligibility expansion during Coronpanic will be maintained at least for another year or two (at which time the expansion can be extended by another act of Congress; I refuse to believe that an expanded welfare state can ever be shrunk because Americans who get accustomed to free stuff are going to be forever dependent on that free stuff).
One area where I’m confused relates to the Medicaid fight. The states that want to put everyone on Medicaid, e.g., California, are richer than average. These same states have a majority of their population agreeing with the idea that inequality is bad. Why wouldn’t they therefore be delighted to use state funds to keep everyone and his/her/zir/their brother on Medicaid? Even more confusing, California says that it is “cruel” for Trump and the Republicans to “cut” Medicaid (meaning that spending actually increases but not as much as hoped/dreamed?) while also cutting Medicaid spending at the state level. Medicaid cuts bad when Republicans do it (X, June 27, 2025):
Medicaid cuts good when California Democrats do it (nytimes, same exact day):
Health care is a human right, but only if federal taxpayers are covering it? It is not a right if Californians have to fund it with their own money?
Another recent fun news item from California, in which Democrats eliminate environmental protections established by Ronald Reagan (nytimes):
As governor, Ronald Reagan, a Republican, signed the environmental act into law in 1970 at a time when his party was much more aligned with environmental protections than it is today. It reflected a consensus among the state’s leaders over the need to protect a vast array of wildlife and natural resources — forests, mountains and coastline — from being spoiled by rising smog, polluted waterways, congestion and suburban sprawl.
This seems like the type of analysis that ChatGPT could do.
I would expect ChatGPT to do a terrible job at this. It has been fed a steady diet of media stories, nearly all of which are likely highly selective and/or inaccurate.
As skilled unemployed person, I am mostly interested in the modifications to Section 174. I think I got all I could ask for!
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text
SEC. 70302.
1) Domestic R&D salaries will now be fully tax-deductible in the first year, returning to the status quo of 1985-2021 and ending the discriminatory practice of taxing engineers substantially unfavorably compared to all other occupations.
2) Foreign (offshore) R&D, like 2022-2024, must be amortized over 15 years.
Hey AI, in trump’s big beautiful bill, what are people happy about, or angry about?
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/in-trump-s-big-beautiful-bill-Mv38pkarS8Kuhl6VsHdeXQ
As a preview of coming attractions, the government’s response in Save Jobs USA v. Department of Homeland Security, et al. is due July 9 (although the deadline has been extended twice already). Interestingly, the government initially filed a motion declining to file any briefs to the Supreme Court, as one suspects that the current administration’s views are opposite of the previous administration, but the Court instructed the administration to file a response.
The case has attracted numerous _amicus curiae_ briefs:
Atlantic Legal Foundation
Landmark Legal Foundation
Phyllis Schlafly Eagles,
Former Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf
Sen. Ted Cruz, joined by Senators Marsha Blackburn, Mike Lee, Eric S. Schmitt, Ted Budd & Jim Banks and Representatives Brian Babin, Lance Gooden, & Troy Nehls.
Interestingly, all five briefs are on the same side, which is that DHS broke the law in creating H-4 EAD and the DC Circuit erred by allowing them to do so. In 2023 (before Loper Bright overturned the Chevron Deference), the Court refused to hear a similar challenge against the similarly illegal STEM OPT program.
(The effect of H-4EAD is to almost double the impact of each H-1B visa on the US workforce, as each visa worker’s spouse now has an unrestricted ability to work in the United States. In practice, this may account for the sudden takeover of the recruiting industry by Indians who exclusively recruit Indians.)
https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/DocketFiles/html/Public/24-923.html
> Health care is a human right, but only if federal taxpayers are covering it? It is not a right if Californians have to fund it with their own money?
So you would obviously support Californian taxpayers being able to pay California its federal taxes then right?
Is your argument that they should both have to fund your Daddy’s golf trips and healthcare?
Californians say that they hate inequality. Since California is much richer than the average state, no federal tax dollars should be spent in California. This will help move America closer to what Californians say is an improved situation of reduced inequality. (Californians should continue to pay into the U.S. Treasury, if that’s your question, even if the only thing that Californians get in return is a warm feeling about helping poorer than average states, such as the Islamic Republic of Michigan.)
Isn’t socialism always something that you do using other people’s money?
> Islamic Republic of Michigan
Can you please clarify on a map where this place is, or is it just general xenophobic hate?
Tell us that you haven’t been to Michigan lately without telling us that you haven’t been to Michigan lately. If you are planning a visit you might find https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2023/05/23/metro-detroit-largest-arabic-speaking-population helpful.
(If we follow the logic of the next mayor of New York City, though, perhaps Hamtramck should be referred to as “Black-ruled” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/03/nyregion/mamdani-columbia-black-application.html )
You could also include this Michigan beauty spot with an all-male all-Muslim city council: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2023/11/08/hamtramck-city-council-to-remain-all-muslim-as-lgbtq-candidate-fails/71494617007/
@Philip, this is exactly what folks like @Anonymous fail to grasp. The self-proclaimed do-gooders loudly champion “inclusion” and “equality” yet they will not open their own gated communities. And these same folks turn a blind eye when our devout Muslim brothers openly exclude LGBTQ+ individuals and non-believers — even right here in the U.S.
Couldn’t believe that gas guzzling car loan tax deduction. Guess it’s more equal than only subsidizing electric cars for the rich. Wish student loans were tax deductable, 30 years ago, but student loans didn’t have 500hp.
lion: This is indeed madness. Americans already hugely overspend on cars. I wish this bill had been three lines: (1) existing tax rates will remain unchanged, (2) existing thresholds for various taxes, including NIIT, will be indexed to inflation, and (3) capital gains will be indexed to inflation.
@philg fascinating you completely trust media reports that back up your own racist viewpoint, but not when they impugn your Daddy and his concentration camp agenda.
More Govt spending and more deficit. But as this is done by republicans , you are all delighted and will be cheering till dems do the same then start bitching and moaning.
As expressed many times here on this blog, I personally am not delighted by a larger government or larger deficits. I believe in a balanced budget because American IQ is currently falling. I don’t see any reason to believe that future generations will be in a better position to pay taxes than we are right now. But I’m in a minority of 1. (I also don’t think that anyone should be able to vote until he/she/ze/they has worked for 8 years, just as the system set up at America’s founding worked (men began working at 13 and voting at 21).) Absent some kind of huge economic expansion caused by artificial intelligence, I do expect that the US hits a fiscal wall eventually. Since we aren’t willing to cut anyone off welfare and tax rate increases don’t reliably result in higher tax revenues I think the most likely way that we get out of it is via inflation that erases the value of the national debt.
Happy 4th of July, everyone!
Here is hoping that today, we see more of the Red, White, and Blue (American flag, for those who may have forgotten) and less Rainbow or Red, Black, White, and Green (Palestinian flag) or White and Black/Red (Keffiyeh).