Big Beautiful Bill Gets a B

This bill is largely ministerial and optics. Biden could have gotten a tax increase, plus extension of the good parts of the bill (which preserve tax rule changes that were bipartisan and should not have been time limited for ten years) but he did not. Had he been successful, the upcoming depression due to housing prices would not have already started. I say depression because prices will be lower than the debt backing the assets - not merely a slowdown in consumer spending.

The debt is mostly sucked up by retirement funds, money and mutual funds, as well as by the rich, and it makes capitalism possible. Unless there is a major push for employee-ownership, there is no other alternative (TINA). Not now does not mean never.

The Medicaid and SNAP cuts are back loaded and will be abolished by the next Democratic Congress after the 2026 election. AARP will do its job - either loudly or quietly - depending on how Trump or Vance feels. Vance will let it happen quietly.

The immigration pieces that are unconstitutional will not take effect, those that are show that elections matter.  Oddly, Trump is going after human trafficking in Big Agriculture and Food, Inc., which his capitalist friends do not like. Immigration reform may one day happen if enough pressure is applied. Big Food stopped it by funding the whole birthright citizenship issue - they liked having a pliant trafficked workforce. Trump is ruining this for them, so maybe they will have to back reform.

Progress cannot be stopped forever.