3d ago

How Democrats plan to make Republicans squirm on tax cuts, DOGE

www.huffpost.com How Democrats Plan To Make Republicans Squirm On Tax Cuts, DOGE

Democrats view the coming fights over President Trump's agenda as an opportunity to put his party on the defensive and damage the president's political standing.

Summary

Senate Democrats plan to force Republicans into tough votes on tax cuts and government cuts linked to Trump’s legislative agenda.

They will introduce amendments opposing tax breaks for the wealthy and cuts to programs like education and Medicaid as Republicans push a $325 billion budget resolution.

Democrats also target Elon Musk’s DOGE, which is rapidly cutting federal jobs. Some Republicans express concerns over DOGE’s speed.

Democrats hope these votes will hurt Trump and the GOP ahead of the 2026 midterms.

43 comments

Their plan is to do nothing, then. They could have been forcing Republicans to vote against popular things for decades now, including during the entire Trump presidency. Without even going into how ineffective this kinda performative bullshit is, why should I expect them to seriously start calling for these votes now?
- Americans told democrats to eat shit this past election, then immediately start demanding those same democrats save them from trump, now they’re acting and Americans are still complaining?? You bus really do deserve what you’re getting

If I'm reading this right, their plan is to basically make Republicans vote against popular things, in hopes that it makes voters turn away from them in 2026. That's neat, and in an ideal world where people actually paid attention to what their senators are voting for and the republicans didn't control the media and generate propaganda at an alarming rate, it might even be effective, but I am skeptical that it will have any real effect in the world we actually live in.
- Think of the county as a car driving towards a cliff.
  Republicans want to stomp on the gas and roll coal to trigger libs.
  Sure, Democrats UNDERSTAND the "concerns" of pollution and driving off a cliff, but they also have to be sensitive to the desires of their oil donors and constituents that work in refineries, so they feel obligated to reach across the aisle to push the gas a little to keep $XOM over $100.
  The news blames the Dems for the car slowing down. No one wants to rock the boat by stopping the car from going off the cliff. Attack anyone that considered reversing for being a socialist because capitalism needs us to buy a new car after we crash this one.
  Leftists and the third world are in the trunk.
  
  I still want ice cream, damnit!
- I mean... at least that's the part of the plan that they SHOULD have been doing for decades... back when the public option was killed from obamacare... no vote was ever heard, and the only person who they announced as the problem was Liberman.
  I mean this strategy is just plain common sense that always SHOULD have been the norm. IMO I think half the reason for low information voters now... is that they basically allowed vote information to get muddled for decades. IE If a bill is overwhelmingly popular with the base, but can't break a fillibuster proof majority, the democrats just go "we don't have the votes, don't put it on the floor", when things do make the floor, we allow riders and compromises to make it so that both sides are attackable.
  In short, they've allowed the voting record to become nearly useless to look at, practically never use it in their advertising on either front, and then allow a good chunk of bills that happen to basically be the "Save orphanages, and kick puppies" bill, so that no matter which way someone votes on it, an attack add can just cover the bad half of the bill and attack people for supporting it, or cover the good half and attack people for opposing it.
- The various Right-wing talking heads will just continue to blame them for being petty and point to it as a proof of government inefficiency. These people can't be bothered to verify anything beyond the first opinion screamed at them through a screen.
  
  Yeah, their whole strategy depends on high information voters knowing exactly what their representative voted for, it's ridiculous because:
  almost all of Trump's voters are 'low information' (with the exception of billionaires that know exactly what's going on, but they're negligible as an actual demographic).
  there's a whole information ecosystem of Fox, boomer Facebook, super PACs funded ads, etc that will lie or just omit inconvenient information
  So the Democrats' strategy is to get Republicans to vote for unpopular stuff that Republican voters will never hear about. Republicans have been passing super unpopular stuff for half a century now, their voters don't care.
- house democrats can't do shit without at least some help from republicans.. and that help does not exist, those maga fucks want to see the nation burn.
  
  They can’t bear to admit their anger has made them lemmings. Even as they see the cliff clear as day. They will lose everything before they admit they were played by a blatant con man.
  
  AOC is finding ways to help. She's using her platform to inform people of their rights, and she's meeting fascists bluffs rather than capitulating* early. This is ultimately just rhetoric, but if one migrant family knew their rights when it mattered because of her, she's helping more than the Democratic leadership is. Sitting on the sidelines complaining about the rules that no longer exist is the liberal strategy, and respectfully, they need to reassess and recommit to antifascism.
  
  If they don't think voting is going to do anything, go get arrested. Lead a protest. Go to an agency and don't take no for an answer. Disrupt proceedings, even if it's against decorum. Make a headline and then talk to anyone who will platform you.
  These are supposed to be leaders, not functionaries.

Fucking retire you ancient neo liberal ass clowns.
- Dude there's no need for petty insults. Clowns are highly trained professionals who bring joy to the world. No need to insult them with unfair associations to slimy dinosaur politicians.
  
  IT enters the chat

So... seriously, the Democrats are not even going to try to stop the Republicans who are actively overthrowing the government, but are instead just going to try to make them look bad enough that they can hopefully gain some seats in 2026 running as "not the Republicans?"
Well, then here's the definitive answer to the recurring question of "will the Democrats learn anything from 2024?"
No. No they won't.
- Honestly, I’m wondering who collapses first- republicans or democrats.
  Right now it looks like it’s gonna be dems, because at least half them are willing to sit at the table with fucking Nazis.
  They seem to think they can just keep their heads down and it’ll blow over.
  They’ve been letting the republicans nibble off bits and bobs for decades and seem to think this bullshit will just end.
  The good news is… it will. But first all the immigrants, the lgbtq+ (starting with trans,); all the progressives and educated people will have been killed off.
  And no. I’m not exaggerating. That’s the way fascism works. They keep blaming scapegoats until there’s nothing left and then the fascists fracture, blaming each other.
  
  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Long_Knives
  I'm sure it'll work out for the Dems. Keep trying to reach across the aisle with fucking Nazis.
  
  I'm hoping it's Democrats, than an actual party representing to working class in government can take its place. There's no room in government for two right wing parties.
- It's hard for them to run on, not the Republicans, when they keep trying to mirror what Republicans are doing.

They shall be tut-tutted once, tut-tutted twice, tut-tutted three times. And they might get a stern glare as well.

The plan:
- I miss when Colbert's comedy wasn't hamstrung by needing to play to milquetoast network audiences. His stuff is ok-ish nowadays, but he's not pushing the envelope on anything anymore
  
  Idk, I love his current show. The Colbert Report was also great.
- That's always been their only plan

I hpep they do something other than this political theatrics and then roll over when it's supposedly go time as all politicians have done

So...
Still no effective, valid, concrete, unified plan that includes consequential effective meaningful messaging...
Fucking great.
Good fucking job.
Ironic that Dems are a huge reason democracy is failing in the US.
🤦‍♀️🤷🫏🤡🖕🖕
- Well, yes and those who didn't vote.
  
  That's the lazy/easy answer.
  If that truly is the case, then why didn't they vote?
  
  Oh, we voted, we just didn't vote for the candidate that you preferred. Those that chose not to vote voiced their opinion that they have cast a vote of no confidence.
  Any politician that is not listening to their constituents like Biden and Harris did not do, are not deserving of a vote. If they're not going to listen to us, they are not representing us in government.

Just like the time they said trump would answer for his crimes? Those democrats? No holding my breath.

To my neighbours in the South, the current trajectory isn't a foregone conclusion. You still have time to act as a whole. Don't sit back, engage. YOU are the power. Signed, a neighbour from the North.

I feel safer already.

Everyone know Democrats aren't going to do shit, they're going to roll over and be walked on.

Yeah, make them squirm. That will show em!

43 comments