This was a really helpful breakdown - thank you. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the bigger picture here. Aside from the $5,000 “Trump Account” for newborns, which feels more like a flashy headline than a broad policy solution, I’m struggling to see how this budget bill meaningfully serves the average U.S. citizen.
So much of it seems geared toward consolidating power or shielding the administration from accountability—like making it harder to file injunctions against the government or limiting states’ ability to regulate AI. Am I missing something? Are there tangible benefits for working families, healthcare access, education, or affordability tucked away in here? Because from where I sit, it feels more like a self-protection bill than a people-first budget.
After reading that one of our few paths for this to not pass depends on the Republican Senate respecting rules, I am really struggling to not despair.
But I will resist!
I will make sure everyone knows:
Rule 65 (c) puts a price tag on our constitutional rights.
10 yrs of hands off AI for states is a gift to Elon Musk.
Trump accounts are only a 1-time $1,000 deposit, only for children born 2025-29, only accessible to child at 18. I would expect it to be paid in Trump’s crypto!
Gun silencers!?!? Who asked for that!?! Who supports that?!? Why!?!
So we get rid of the tax revenue on gun silencer purchases and manufacturing and reduce SNAP benefits for poor people. This will never be okay with me.
The thing that pisses me off most about this bill is that the supposedly “good” bits like tax cuts, deductions and credits, and Trump accounts start immediately, and the most damaging parts like Medicaid cuts and SNAP cuts don’t take effect until 2028. Republicans KNOW how unpopular these things are, and they aim to blame it all on the next administration. I’m so, so tired of this nonsense.
If we can win back Congress and the Presidency could we then reverse course before all these cuts even take place? I agree with you the delay is purposeful but maybe it leaves a window open to fight back? We just need people to show up at the polls! Is that too hopeful? There’s so much bad news these days it’s overwhelming, so it’s possible I’m verging on unrealistic optimism today to survive.
I think some of these things could be reversed, and hopefully will. But it gives Republicans space to blame the Dems for adding to the deficit by eliminating these programs. Basically it'll put Dems in a tight spot due to Repubs bad choices regardless which way it goes.
Also Hidden: $300,000,000 in FEMA funds to pay Florida/DC law enforcement to act as private security to Mar a Lago/the White House/NYC (60004). Paid through 2029.
Fees Migrants and sponsors will have to pay: $1,000 for asylum; $550 to file employment authorization; $500 for temporary protected status; $1,000 for parole fees; $500 in fees to reunite a juvenile with their families; $3,500 reimbursement to whoever takes custody of an unaccompanied minor; $250 Visa Integrity fee; $24 1-94 form Fee; $100 Yearly asylum fee; $100 in court continuance fees; $550 for asylum and parole extension/renewal fees (paid every 6 months). $400 to file a diversity immigrant visa; $250 to register for the Diversity visa; $1,500 to adjust the status of a lawful permanent resident; $1,050 for a inadmissiblity waiver; $500 to apply for a temporary protected status application; $900 to file an appeal; $900 application fee to file the appeal; $1,325 to file an appeal from decision; $900 fee to reopen an appeal; $600 to file a suspension of deportation; $600 filing fee for canceling removal for certain permanent residents; $1,500 filing fee for canceling removal for certain non-permanent residents; $5,000 on sponsor if an unaccompanied minor fails to appear in court; $5,000 to remove an immigrant; $5,000 CBP fee for apprehension at the border;
Just to be clear: This not only affects undocumented workers; it affects ALL immigrants. Even those who came to the US “the right way”. It also makes major changes to the Immigration and Nationality act.
Funds will go to Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection.
Kris -- Could you provide a source/link that outlines each of these fees in a comprehensive manner? I found a couple of articles that only mention two or three of these 'additional' fees that are in the bill.
“… if certain regulations are necessary, Republican lawmakers believe they should come in a coordinated fashion from Washington, rather than requiring companies to wade through up to 50 conflicting regulations coming from the states.”
This quote from the AI section really struck me. Some republicans think companies shouldn’t have to deal with differing laws throughout the country regarding AI but think citizens of childbearing potential should have to wade through differing abortion laws when deciding where to live or even just spend any significant amount of time in this country. I thought they were all about giving the choice back to the states but I guess that’s only when it burdens individuals, not corporations.
SO EVIL. I'm beyond disappointed and have moved on to disgust with trump and his blind followers. I can't fathom being so greedy and heartless. Breaks my heart to share a country with them.
The fate of this bill will ultimately hinge on whether the handful of non-MAGA Republicans in the Senate (those who don't necessarily see their entire political future as inextricably tied to Trump's success) can muster the courage to pump the brakes on provisions that fundamentally alter the balance of power between branches of government.
But let's be clear about what they'll face: the MAGA enforcement machine has already shown its teeth. Look at what happened to Joni Ernst when she dared express initial skepticism about Pete Hegseth's Defense nomination: a coordinated pressure campaign of primary threats, social media pile-ons, and organized harassment that had her backtracking within days. This gameplan has been duplicated many times since then. Any Republican senator who balks at this bill won't just face political pressure; they'll face the full fury of a movement that has perfected the art of political extortion.
This means the real burden falls on constituents in states represented by potentially persuadable senators. And calling their offices, while important, won't be nearly enough to counteract the MAGA intimidation machine. We need protests that are impossible to ignore, targeted at each senator's specific political vulnerabilities.
I am obviously not an expert in every Senator, so I turned to ChatGPT for some ideas on how that might look. I’m not saying this is exactly correct as is, but maybe it’s inspiring for someone reading it to try thinking outside the box. Here’s what it said:
“For Susan Collins in Maine, organize demonstrations outside L.L.Bean and other iconic Maine businesses highlighting how the AI preemption provision could kill Maine's ability to protect its citizens from algorithmic discrimination - frame it as federal overreach trampling state rights. Coordinate with Maine lobstermen and fishing industry workers to protest at her Portland office about how eliminating environmental regulations (buried elsewhere in the bill) could destroy their livelihoods. Make it visceral and local.
“For Lisa Murkowski in Alaska, mobilize Alaska Native communities to protest at her Anchorage office about how provisions affecting federal land management and resource extraction (always tucked into these omnibus bills) could devastate subsistence hunting and fishing rights. Organize pilots and bush plane operators - critical to Alaska's infrastructure - to buzz her events with banner planes highlighting how the bill's cuts to rural programs would isolate remote communities. For Bill Cassidy in Louisiana, partner with New Orleans musicians and hospitality workers to stage jazz funeral processions at his offices mourning the death of judicial independence.
“The protests need to be creative, sustained, and impossible to dismiss as typical partisan noise. Think flash mobs of federal workers in Todd Young's Indiana district offices, all filing mock MSPB appeals with Monopoly money to pay the new fees. For John Thune, the new Majority Leader who still cares about Senate traditions, organize former Senate staffers from both parties to hold vigils outside his offices reading the names of every judicial precedent that would be undermined by the contempt provision.
“The key is making these senators feel the heat from constituents they actually care about, not just progressive activists they've already written off. That means recruiting federalist society members concerned about the contempt provision's assault on judicial independence, and fiscal conservatives horrified by creating new spending programs while cutting revenue. Organize "Republicans for the Republic" protests featuring Reagan and Bush-era officials warning about the authoritarian drift. Make them choose between enabling Trump's power grab and standing as a guardian of conservative principles.
“Timing will be critical. Coordinate protests for the week the Senate parliamentarian reviews the bill, when media attention will peak and senators will be making their final calculations. Plan escalating actions, starting with traditional demonstrations, moving to creative disruptions like projecting the most egregious provisions onto the Capitol building, and culminating in sustained sit-ins at state offices if senators remain unmoved.
“The goal isn't just to make noise; it's to create a permission structure for these senators to vote no by demonstrating that their constituents - including Republicans - oppose the bill's worst provisions. Because once this passes, the precedents it sets for executive impunity and federal preemption won't be easily undone.”
One last thing I'll add: talk with your Trump-skeptical friends and family. Make sure they know about the parts that aren't getting the spin treatment of talking points from talking heads. Explain why they should be angry at the bill designed to take their power away.
One of Trump's (MAGA's) most successful strategies is to *overwhelm." This omnibus bill (over 1K pages) is a prime example. Also, the manner in which this administration effectively 'flooded' the courts with multiple executive orders, and DOGE acts to kick off the term was precisely a plan to overwhelm the system. It does provide another comparison to Hitler: "Blitzkrieg!"
So, what you're saying Timothy is...WE 'BLITZKRIEG' BACK!! (Although, I would actually prefer to use a different word/term).
It's kind of an accountability avalanche that we need... like... we're just asking people to stand up for themselves and demand accountability from their representatives, regardless of party. Whatever branding a movement would take, it should acknowledge the low bar that's been set, something to the effect of "I just wanna live my life, Congress: do your job and let me get back to productive and enjoyable things!"
This is the kind of stuff that makes me nervous, the changes buried deep in the bill that shift power away from regular people and make it harder to hold leaders accountable. That rule about needing to pay up before courts can pause government actions? It sounds small, but it could be a huge roadblock for anyone trying to challenge something unfair.
And the AI part — states were finally starting to catch up, and now the federal government wants to shut it all down for ten years? It’s wild. These changes don’t get flashy headlines, but they seriously matter.
Yes the AI and the courts concern me. I do think Rs in power now need to stop and think if they'll be ok with that provision once they don't hold power anymore. Will they be happy when their suits are limited by their own design?
Are republicans READING this?! I don't think they are...how could any human w/ an ounce of decency vote yes on this UGLY bill. Not to mention how dangerous it is taking away power from the other judicial branches!
This bill also cuts off all Medicaid & ACA funding for medically necessary care for all transgender people, including HRT. It will gut healthcare for more than 275,000 transgender individuals. This bill will kill Americans. Point blank period.
“The bill makes clear that state laws intended to “remove legal impediments” to the development of AI systems will still be allowed, but any regulations hampering AI systems would have to come from the federal level. “We believe that excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry just as it’s taking off,” Vice President JD Vance said in February; if certain regulations are necessary, Republican lawmakers believe they should come in a coordinated fashion from Washington, rather than requiring companies to wade through up to 50 conflicting regulations coming from the states.”
But can’t AI “wade”through the “50 conflicting regulations coming from the states” for the “transformative industry” fairly quickly
“if certain regulations are necessary, Republican lawmakers believe they should come in a coordinated fashion from Washington, rather than requiring companies to wade through up to 50 conflicting regulations coming from the states.”
SERIOUSLY?? The “Washington” that isn’t quite sure what the “internet” and “AI” are, and has shrunk “regulation departments” is going to act expediently writing “regulations” for “AI”????
This was a really helpful breakdown - thank you. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the bigger picture here. Aside from the $5,000 “Trump Account” for newborns, which feels more like a flashy headline than a broad policy solution, I’m struggling to see how this budget bill meaningfully serves the average U.S. citizen.
So much of it seems geared toward consolidating power or shielding the administration from accountability—like making it harder to file injunctions against the government or limiting states’ ability to regulate AI. Am I missing something? Are there tangible benefits for working families, healthcare access, education, or affordability tucked away in here? Because from where I sit, it feels more like a self-protection bill than a people-first budget.
After reading that one of our few paths for this to not pass depends on the Republican Senate respecting rules, I am really struggling to not despair.
But I will resist!
I will make sure everyone knows:
Rule 65 (c) puts a price tag on our constitutional rights.
10 yrs of hands off AI for states is a gift to Elon Musk.
Trump accounts are only a 1-time $1,000 deposit, only for children born 2025-29, only accessible to child at 18. I would expect it to be paid in Trump’s crypto!
Gun silencers!?!? Who asked for that!?! Who supports that?!? Why!?!
So we get rid of the tax revenue on gun silencer purchases and manufacturing and reduce SNAP benefits for poor people. This will never be okay with me.
We also eliminate a one time tax on silencers but add an annual tax of 250 on electric vehicles, on top of your state registration. WHY?!
The thing that pisses me off most about this bill is that the supposedly “good” bits like tax cuts, deductions and credits, and Trump accounts start immediately, and the most damaging parts like Medicaid cuts and SNAP cuts don’t take effect until 2028. Republicans KNOW how unpopular these things are, and they aim to blame it all on the next administration. I’m so, so tired of this nonsense.
If we can win back Congress and the Presidency could we then reverse course before all these cuts even take place? I agree with you the delay is purposeful but maybe it leaves a window open to fight back? We just need people to show up at the polls! Is that too hopeful? There’s so much bad news these days it’s overwhelming, so it’s possible I’m verging on unrealistic optimism today to survive.
I think some of these things could be reversed, and hopefully will. But it gives Republicans space to blame the Dems for adding to the deficit by eliminating these programs. Basically it'll put Dems in a tight spot due to Repubs bad choices regardless which way it goes.
Also Hidden: $300,000,000 in FEMA funds to pay Florida/DC law enforcement to act as private security to Mar a Lago/the White House/NYC (60004). Paid through 2029.
Fees Migrants and sponsors will have to pay: $1,000 for asylum; $550 to file employment authorization; $500 for temporary protected status; $1,000 for parole fees; $500 in fees to reunite a juvenile with their families; $3,500 reimbursement to whoever takes custody of an unaccompanied minor; $250 Visa Integrity fee; $24 1-94 form Fee; $100 Yearly asylum fee; $100 in court continuance fees; $550 for asylum and parole extension/renewal fees (paid every 6 months). $400 to file a diversity immigrant visa; $250 to register for the Diversity visa; $1,500 to adjust the status of a lawful permanent resident; $1,050 for a inadmissiblity waiver; $500 to apply for a temporary protected status application; $900 to file an appeal; $900 application fee to file the appeal; $1,325 to file an appeal from decision; $900 fee to reopen an appeal; $600 to file a suspension of deportation; $600 filing fee for canceling removal for certain permanent residents; $1,500 filing fee for canceling removal for certain non-permanent residents; $5,000 on sponsor if an unaccompanied minor fails to appear in court; $5,000 to remove an immigrant; $5,000 CBP fee for apprehension at the border;
Just to be clear: This not only affects undocumented workers; it affects ALL immigrants. Even those who came to the US “the right way”. It also makes major changes to the Immigration and Nationality act.
Funds will go to Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection.
In other words, more money than the average immigrant could probably afford. Just your basic shakedown.
Kris -- Could you provide a source/link that outlines each of these fees in a comprehensive manner? I found a couple of articles that only mention two or three of these 'additional' fees that are in the bill.
Hey Todd, it’s directly from HR 1 Big Beautiful Bill Act in Section 7: committee on the judiciary; subtitle Immigration Fees
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text
No comprehensive summary that I know of
Thank you, Kris for both of those hidden items, the Mar-a-Lago scam, and the immigration racket.
Thank you Kris!
some info here https://soinformed.substack.com/p/whats-in-trumps-big-beautiful-bill
“… if certain regulations are necessary, Republican lawmakers believe they should come in a coordinated fashion from Washington, rather than requiring companies to wade through up to 50 conflicting regulations coming from the states.”
This quote from the AI section really struck me. Some republicans think companies shouldn’t have to deal with differing laws throughout the country regarding AI but think citizens of childbearing potential should have to wade through differing abortion laws when deciding where to live or even just spend any significant amount of time in this country. I thought they were all about giving the choice back to the states but I guess that’s only when it burdens individuals, not corporations.
Cassidy Joy-Saint, thank you for calling out the hypocrisy!
This is so evil. Evil.
SO EVIL. I'm beyond disappointed and have moved on to disgust with trump and his blind followers. I can't fathom being so greedy and heartless. Breaks my heart to share a country with them.
Gmk5181, or even a planet!
The fate of this bill will ultimately hinge on whether the handful of non-MAGA Republicans in the Senate (those who don't necessarily see their entire political future as inextricably tied to Trump's success) can muster the courage to pump the brakes on provisions that fundamentally alter the balance of power between branches of government.
But let's be clear about what they'll face: the MAGA enforcement machine has already shown its teeth. Look at what happened to Joni Ernst when she dared express initial skepticism about Pete Hegseth's Defense nomination: a coordinated pressure campaign of primary threats, social media pile-ons, and organized harassment that had her backtracking within days. This gameplan has been duplicated many times since then. Any Republican senator who balks at this bill won't just face political pressure; they'll face the full fury of a movement that has perfected the art of political extortion.
This means the real burden falls on constituents in states represented by potentially persuadable senators. And calling their offices, while important, won't be nearly enough to counteract the MAGA intimidation machine. We need protests that are impossible to ignore, targeted at each senator's specific political vulnerabilities.
I am obviously not an expert in every Senator, so I turned to ChatGPT for some ideas on how that might look. I’m not saying this is exactly correct as is, but maybe it’s inspiring for someone reading it to try thinking outside the box. Here’s what it said:
“For Susan Collins in Maine, organize demonstrations outside L.L.Bean and other iconic Maine businesses highlighting how the AI preemption provision could kill Maine's ability to protect its citizens from algorithmic discrimination - frame it as federal overreach trampling state rights. Coordinate with Maine lobstermen and fishing industry workers to protest at her Portland office about how eliminating environmental regulations (buried elsewhere in the bill) could destroy their livelihoods. Make it visceral and local.
“For Lisa Murkowski in Alaska, mobilize Alaska Native communities to protest at her Anchorage office about how provisions affecting federal land management and resource extraction (always tucked into these omnibus bills) could devastate subsistence hunting and fishing rights. Organize pilots and bush plane operators - critical to Alaska's infrastructure - to buzz her events with banner planes highlighting how the bill's cuts to rural programs would isolate remote communities. For Bill Cassidy in Louisiana, partner with New Orleans musicians and hospitality workers to stage jazz funeral processions at his offices mourning the death of judicial independence.
“The protests need to be creative, sustained, and impossible to dismiss as typical partisan noise. Think flash mobs of federal workers in Todd Young's Indiana district offices, all filing mock MSPB appeals with Monopoly money to pay the new fees. For John Thune, the new Majority Leader who still cares about Senate traditions, organize former Senate staffers from both parties to hold vigils outside his offices reading the names of every judicial precedent that would be undermined by the contempt provision.
“The key is making these senators feel the heat from constituents they actually care about, not just progressive activists they've already written off. That means recruiting federalist society members concerned about the contempt provision's assault on judicial independence, and fiscal conservatives horrified by creating new spending programs while cutting revenue. Organize "Republicans for the Republic" protests featuring Reagan and Bush-era officials warning about the authoritarian drift. Make them choose between enabling Trump's power grab and standing as a guardian of conservative principles.
“Timing will be critical. Coordinate protests for the week the Senate parliamentarian reviews the bill, when media attention will peak and senators will be making their final calculations. Plan escalating actions, starting with traditional demonstrations, moving to creative disruptions like projecting the most egregious provisions onto the Capitol building, and culminating in sustained sit-ins at state offices if senators remain unmoved.
“The goal isn't just to make noise; it's to create a permission structure for these senators to vote no by demonstrating that their constituents - including Republicans - oppose the bill's worst provisions. Because once this passes, the precedents it sets for executive impunity and federal preemption won't be easily undone.”
One last thing I'll add: talk with your Trump-skeptical friends and family. Make sure they know about the parts that aren't getting the spin treatment of talking points from talking heads. Explain why they should be angry at the bill designed to take their power away.
One of Trump's (MAGA's) most successful strategies is to *overwhelm." This omnibus bill (over 1K pages) is a prime example. Also, the manner in which this administration effectively 'flooded' the courts with multiple executive orders, and DOGE acts to kick off the term was precisely a plan to overwhelm the system. It does provide another comparison to Hitler: "Blitzkrieg!"
So, what you're saying Timothy is...WE 'BLITZKRIEG' BACK!! (Although, I would actually prefer to use a different word/term).
It's kind of an accountability avalanche that we need... like... we're just asking people to stand up for themselves and demand accountability from their representatives, regardless of party. Whatever branding a movement would take, it should acknowledge the low bar that's been set, something to the effect of "I just wanna live my life, Congress: do your job and let me get back to productive and enjoyable things!"
Thank you, Timothy. You really outdid yourself on this one.
This is the kind of stuff that makes me nervous, the changes buried deep in the bill that shift power away from regular people and make it harder to hold leaders accountable. That rule about needing to pay up before courts can pause government actions? It sounds small, but it could be a huge roadblock for anyone trying to challenge something unfair.
And the AI part — states were finally starting to catch up, and now the federal government wants to shut it all down for ten years? It’s wild. These changes don’t get flashy headlines, but they seriously matter.
Yes the AI and the courts concern me. I do think Rs in power now need to stop and think if they'll be ok with that provision once they don't hold power anymore. Will they be happy when their suits are limited by their own design?
I’m not sure they’re thinking that far ahead…..
Are republicans READING this?! I don't think they are...how could any human w/ an ounce of decency vote yes on this UGLY bill. Not to mention how dangerous it is taking away power from the other judicial branches!
At least one Representative has been forced (by his constituents) to admit that he did not read every provision of the bill before voting to pass it: https://www.3newsnow.com/northeast-nebraska/congressman-mike-flood-tells-constituents-he-didnt-read-portions-of-the-big-beautiful-bill-before-voting-to-pass-it
Representatives should be fined for not reading what they are voting on (or voted out!) on both sides.
YES! I absolutely agree.
This bill also cuts off all Medicaid & ACA funding for medically necessary care for all transgender people, including HRT. It will gut healthcare for more than 275,000 transgender individuals. This bill will kill Americans. Point blank period.
Thank you Gabe! Great reporting
I don't understand how limiting judge's and court's power can be a part of a budget bill?
“The bill makes clear that state laws intended to “remove legal impediments” to the development of AI systems will still be allowed, but any regulations hampering AI systems would have to come from the federal level. “We believe that excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry just as it’s taking off,” Vice President JD Vance said in February; if certain regulations are necessary, Republican lawmakers believe they should come in a coordinated fashion from Washington, rather than requiring companies to wade through up to 50 conflicting regulations coming from the states.”
But can’t AI “wade”through the “50 conflicting regulations coming from the states” for the “transformative industry” fairly quickly
“if certain regulations are necessary, Republican lawmakers believe they should come in a coordinated fashion from Washington, rather than requiring companies to wade through up to 50 conflicting regulations coming from the states.”
SERIOUSLY?? The “Washington” that isn’t quite sure what the “internet” and “AI” are, and has shrunk “regulation departments” is going to act expediently writing “regulations” for “AI”????