MAGA Mayhem: The Extremism You Missed From Republicans This Week
June 23, 2023
This week, you might have missed: Lindsey Graham pledging to reintroduce his extreme national abortion ban despite overwhelming opposition from Americans, Chris Christie once again vowing to cut Social Security, Donald Trump doubling down on his disastrous tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy, and House Republicans waging war on Social Security and Medicare AND women’s right to choose all in the same week.
Lindsey Graham said he will reintroduce his proposal for a nationwide abortion ban, the latest effort by MAGA Republicans to rip away freedoms from women across the country.
Post and Courier: “Graham said he will reintroduce legislation to create a federal ban on abortions at 15 weeks as he tries to get Republicans to reach shared consensus on the issue in a post-Roe America. ‘Some Republicans say abortion is a states’ rights issue. I reject that,’ Graham said.”
Graham: “I’ll introduce legislation soon creating a national minimum standard of 15 weeks.”
Post and Courier: “Graham said he is looking for a presidential nominee to ‘embrace this concept.’ … ‘That’s not too much to ask of a potential nominee,’ Graham said. He then pushed back on the idea that abortion should being left solely up to the states.”
Not to be outdone, House Republicans worked tirelessly to advance their MAGA agenda this week — introducing a budget that could slash Social Security and Medicare AND pushing ahead with extreme legislation that would ban abortion nationwide.
UpNorthNews: “With the release of the Republican Study Committee’s budget, Republicans have ramped back up their attacks on [Medicare and Social Security].
“The proposed budget would make cuts to Social Security by raising the retirement age, though it does not specifically say what that new retirement age would be. Benefits would also be reduced for those who earned a ‘higher salary’ before retirement, but the budget again does not specify what that threshold would be. The budget also assures that there would only be ‘modest adjustments’ to Social Security as it operates now, but again, does not outline exactly what that means.”
Intelligencer: “House GOP Forges Ahead on Wildly Unpopular National Abortion Ban”
Washington Examiner: “House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) signaled on Tuesday that congressional Republicans will begin the process of introducing a 15-week federal abortion ban.”
This is despite an overwhelming majority of Americans rejecting MAGA Republicans’ push for a national ban.
CBS News: “CBS News poll finds most say Roe’s overturn has been bad for country, half say abortion has been more restricted than expected”
“Women — six in 10 of whom disapprove of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe — feel that decision has not only been an infringement on women’s rights, but also a threat to women’s health: More than half of women think being pregnant in the U.S. today is becoming more dangerous from a health care perspective.”
USA Today: “Americans overwhelmingly oppose the next goal of many anti-abortion activists, to enact a federal law banning abortion nationwide. By 80%-14%, those surveyed opposed that idea, including 65% of Republicans and 83% of independents. By 53%-39%, they supported a federal law ensuring access to abortion.”
Chris Christie also doubled down on his yearslong campaign to gut Social Security.
CNBC: “Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday that U.S. leaders ‘need to deal with Social Security’ and vowed not to shy away from entitlement reform if he becomes the 2024 Republican presidential nominee. ‘We have to look at things like means testing for the very wealthy [who] don’t need to get Social Security,’ Christie said on CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box.’ ‘And secondly, for people in their 30s and 40s we need to consider, you know, raising the retirement age,’ he said.”
Donald Trump said he wants to go even further than the tax giveaways he passed in office — which handed billions to the ultra-wealthy, are adding HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of dollars to the national deficit, and left working families behind.
Fox News: “Would your policies roughly be similar to your first term as far as taxes, regulation?
Trump: “Yeah, and I’d do even more taxes.”
Forbes: “Trump Tax Cuts Helped Billionaires Pay Less Taxes Than The Working Class In 2018”
CBS News: “Two years after Trump tax cuts, middle-class Americans are falling behind”