Policy

Medicaid Reality vs. Rhetoric

Medicaid "Cuts" Debate: Fiscal Reality vs. Political Rhetoric The 2025 budget reconciliation bill, H.R. 1, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBBA), has sparked intense debate over Medicaid funding. A July 4, 2025, Wall Street Journal (WSJ) opinion piece, "No One Is ‘Gutting’ the Safety Net", argues that Republican proposals are pragmatic reforms to ensure Medicaid’s sustainability, not destructive cuts. In my columns, "Monday Misleading Math" (June 30, 2025) and "The Myth of Medicaid Cuts: Explaining Baseline Budgeting" (March 2, 2025), I reinforce this, framing the changes as reductions in growth, akin to the 1990s Medicare reforms. This column synthesizes these…

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A Precarious Fiscal Precipice

The Fiscal Trifecta Threatening America’s Future The United States stands at a precarious fiscal precipice, grappling with three interlocking threats: defaulting on the national debt, the looming insolvency of Social Security and Medicare, and the inexorable rise of long-term debt. Each challenge carries distinct origins, timelines, and consequences, yet their convergence forms a fiscal time bomb that threatens economic stability and social welfare. With Social Security’s insolvency now a mere eight years away-compared to a 36-year horizon in 2005-the urgency for reform has reached a critical juncture. Alan Greenspan’s 1996 warning of “truly wrenching” adjustments resonates with renewed force, as procrastination…

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Humpday Highlights

Quick Takes: Humpday Highlights Rubio’s USAID Overhaul: A New Era for U.S. Foreign Aid On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the termination of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) role in foreign assistance, aligning with the Trump administration’s “America First” agenda, as reported by the State Department’s Substack. The decision canceled 83% of USAID’s programs-5,200 out of 6,200 contracts-shifting oversight to the State Department to prioritize trade, investment, and national interests. The new strategy, emphasizing “trade over aid, opportunity over dependency,” marks aid with the American flag and targets self-sufficient nations. Supporters argue this addresses USAID’s inefficiencies,…

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Monday Moments

Quick Takes: Monday Moments Healthcare Reforms Are A Vital Response to DOJ’s Historic Fraud Takedown The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) June 30, 2025, healthcare fraud takedown, charging 324 defendants for $14.6 billion in false claims, exposes the critical vulnerabilities threatening Medicare and Medicaid’s solvency. Described as the largest coordinated operation in DOJ history, it targeted schemes like “Operation Gold Rush,” which exploited 1 million stolen identities to bill $10.6 billion, and opioid trafficking involving 15 million prescription pills (Lyndhurst Daily Voice). With $2.9 billion in actual losses and $245 million in seized assets (Tampa FP), this bust underscores the rampant fraud…

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Monday Misleading Math

The Misleading Math Behind the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: A Layman’s Guide If you’ve caught wind of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) currently being considered by the Senate, you might’ve heard it described as a budget-busting disaster that slashes Medicaid and hands out tax breaks to the rich. That’s the narrative often pushed by legacy media, leaning heavily on Democratic talking points. But here’s the truth: the numbers driving th You Can't Predict Ball: The Texas Rangers’ 2025 Season As the Texas Rangers hit the halfway mark of the 2025 season with a 41-43 record, they embody a…

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Ensuring Election Integrity

Ensuring Election Integrity: The Case for Voter ID, the SAVE Act, Voter Roll Maintenance, and Stronger Penalties In an era of polarized politics and heightened scrutiny over electoral processes, the integrity of our elections is paramount. Free and fair elections are the bedrock of democracy, ensuring that every citi Quick Takes: Friday Findings Welcome to today’s Quick Takes, where we dive into pressing issues with sharp analysis. First, we scrutinize Natasha Bertrand’s reporting on the DIA leaker controversy, questioning her credibility amid a history of selective narratives and conflicting evidence from the CIA, Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission, and the IAEA on…

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Override the Parliamentarian

The Senate Parliamentarian’s Medicaid Ruling: A Procedural Roadblock for Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” As President Donald Trump pushes for his ambitious "Big, Beautiful Bill" to overhaul taxes and spending, a critical obstacle has emerged in the Senate: the rejection of key Medicaid provisions by Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough. These rulings, grounded in the arcane but powerful Byrd Rule, threaten to derail the GOP’s reconciliation strategy, forcing a reckoning over Senate procedure and historical precedent. Understanding the specific provisions at issue, the basis for MacDonough’s objections, and the rare history of overriding the parliamentarian provides crucial context for this high-stakes legislative battle.…

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The War Powers Resolution is Unconstitutional

An Originalist Case Against the War Powers Resolution In the sweltering Philadelphia summer of 1787, the Framers of the Constitution grappled with a question that had plagued republics and monarchies alike: who should wield the power to wage war? Drawing on the lessons of European monarchs who dragged nations into ruinous conflicts, they sought to craft a system that balanced deliberate democratic consent with the need for swift action in times of crisis. The result, enshrined in Article I, Section 8, gave Congress the power to “declare War,” while Article II, Section 2 designated the President as “Commander in Chief” of…

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Fisking Sen. Ron Johnson’s 2025 Budget Reconciliation Analysis

Analysis of "FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation: Facts, Figures, and Analysis" by Senator Ron Johnson Introduction Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) authored the "FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation: Facts, Figures, and Analysis" report, released on June 18, 2025, which examines the U.S. federal budget’s fiscal challenges. Notably, Johnson is also recognized for producing an immigration chart that gained historical significance during a July 13, 2024, campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Former President Donald Trump, unscripted, turned to reference this chart on illegal immigration-originally shared with him by Johnson during an April 2024 plane ride-when he was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt.…

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The Art of the Deal is Required Reading

Why Understanding Trump’s Tariff Policy Requires Reading The Art of the Deal To grasp the intricacies of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy in 2025, one must delve into The Art of the Deal, his 1987 book that outlines the principles driving his negotiation strategy. This book is not merely a memoir of real estate triumphs but a blueprint for his approach to high-stakes deal-making, emphasizing bold ambition, strategic leverage, and market awareness. These principles-thinking big, maximizing options, knowing your market, using leverage, being willing to walk away, getting the word out, fighting back, delivering results, and enjoying the process-are vividly reflected…

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