The Winston Group’s David Winston in today’s Roll Call about how both parties, particularly Democrats, are talking about the Big Beautiful Bill.
The Democrats, however, don’t want to debate on its economic merit, so they have gone back to their old playbook, trying to change the electorate’s focus on the bill from taxes to health care. Since its passage, along with a supportive mediasphere, they have pushed an all-out barrage of misinformation, exaggeration and fearmongering about the bill’s impact, while the Republicans’ economic message has had to compete with everything from immigration controversies to military strikes and natural disasters, all of which are, not surprisingly, also blamed on Trump.
Democrats have focused their main attacks on what they claim are callous, cruel and devastating cuts to Medicaid in the BBB. Except that, in reality, there is no cut. If the bill hadn’t passed, the country would have seen a 59.6 percent increase in the cost of Medicaid over the next 10 years, or 35.4 percent factoring in inflation, according to my analysis of CBO numbers. Under the BBB, Medicaid funding will actually go up 30.3 percent by 2034. Factoring in inflation, the bill still increases the program’s budget by 6.1 percent, which for a program this large isn’t pocket change.
Admittedly, Republicans aren’t immune to hyperbole on occasion. But, simply put, voters want straight talk from both parties.
Read the full piece here.
