From my wife: As a parent of an adult daughter with IDD who lives in a community residence in NY and as a special needs attorney very involved in the community, here is my take:
The cuts will be devastating and, yes, a great deal will depend on where you reside. The next fight, however, will be in connection with the promulgation of the regulations. The regulations will be very important and we need to impact them.
I agree that each State will have to determine how much it wants to spend to plug the holes created by this Big Ugly Bill but there will be cuts to services and supports. What I am hearing is that those who are already in community residences should be "ok" in the sense that their needs will continue to be met. A continuing and growing issue is staffing. Not only does this legislation seem to implement draconian cuts, but nation-wide staffing problems are exacerbated by this bill and the immigration situation. In my personal experience, the agency that provides services and supports to my daughter has lost 27 direct service professionals who were here legally received letters from ICE and decided to leave rather than face possible consequences. That means that 27 workers have to be replaced to provide adequate care to people receiving services.
I would suggest that you begin discussions with the organization that provides housing to your children as to their plans for these cuts. I would also talk with anyone you can to have the community rally around our children and demand that this legislation be pulled back. In addition I am supporting legislators at all levels, including judges, state legislators, county legislators as well as Federal legislators and let them know that you are watching and will not support people who voted for and continue to believe in these draconian measures that hurt people with disabilities, the elderly, etc.
You offer scant comfort, but that's accurate information and we all realize the ground has shifted, the rules have changed, and we're in new and uncharted political waters
I agree there is no alternative to working to get some of the levers of power, including Congressional control, back. But we have to be really careful what we promise. "Stop him from doing more damage" is more realistic than "fix what he broke." The last thing we need is to win an election, then get blamed for not returning things to the way they were before.
Irrelevant politically, but I’m writing this with tears in my eyes over the stunningly beautiful paragraph directly beneath the BBB/Medicaid question. Deeply humane, compassionate, inclusive, considerate, and written with as much grace as anything I’ve read in many years. Words not strung together but each perfectly matched to all the others, lovely to read silently, but equally lovely read aloud. From an old woman who loves the English language nearly as deeply as she loves people, thank you.
To the person with two intellectually disabled adult children: There are several ways in which the BBB will cut Medicaid benefits, but the method that will result in the most people losing benefits is work requirements. I'm sure your children are exempt from working under the new law, but work requirements cut a very high percentage of people who are working or exempt because people give up trying to navigate the red tape reporting requirements. So be aware of that -- take the reporting requirements seriously and don't give up. Another way the BBB is intended to cause attrition is by requiring recipients to "reprove" eligibility every 6 months rather than annually. Watch out for that too. Both of these go into effect January 1, 2027, conveniently after the midterms.
I think we need to start amping up the idea that Stephen Miller is running the show. Not only immigration but foreign policy. Co-President Miller, let’s go Time magazine put Hideous Stevie on the cover. Trump doesn’t like being overshadowed or share the spotlight. Svengali Stephen.
I thought your response to the question about whether a blue wave in 2026 could be weakened by the veto power attacked a straw man. The point wasn't to give up and do nothing, as you suggest. Of course not. The point is to not put all eggs in one basket and to focus on additional approaches. You did make that point, but I was hoping for more information about whether Congress, falling short of a 2/3 override of the veto, has any other tools. For example, since Congress has the taxing and spending power, is that something the president can't veto? If so, would a repeal of tax cuts, a restoration of funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid, and anything in a budget reconciliation package not be subject to a veto? I do admire and value your important work.
Regarding the question about stalling the Bove nomination, David Dayen recently had a column where he suggested a strategy where the Senate might be able to block the Big, Beautiful Bill, at least for a long time.
From my wife: As a parent of an adult daughter with IDD who lives in a community residence in NY and as a special needs attorney very involved in the community, here is my take:
The cuts will be devastating and, yes, a great deal will depend on where you reside. The next fight, however, will be in connection with the promulgation of the regulations. The regulations will be very important and we need to impact them.
I agree that each State will have to determine how much it wants to spend to plug the holes created by this Big Ugly Bill but there will be cuts to services and supports. What I am hearing is that those who are already in community residences should be "ok" in the sense that their needs will continue to be met. A continuing and growing issue is staffing. Not only does this legislation seem to implement draconian cuts, but nation-wide staffing problems are exacerbated by this bill and the immigration situation. In my personal experience, the agency that provides services and supports to my daughter has lost 27 direct service professionals who were here legally received letters from ICE and decided to leave rather than face possible consequences. That means that 27 workers have to be replaced to provide adequate care to people receiving services.
I would suggest that you begin discussions with the organization that provides housing to your children as to their plans for these cuts. I would also talk with anyone you can to have the community rally around our children and demand that this legislation be pulled back. In addition I am supporting legislators at all levels, including judges, state legislators, county legislators as well as Federal legislators and let them know that you are watching and will not support people who voted for and continue to believe in these draconian measures that hurt people with disabilities, the elderly, etc.
Best Regards,
Sandy Gumerove
Saundra M. Gumerove and Associates
Attorneys at Law
You offer scant comfort, but that's accurate information and we all realize the ground has shifted, the rules have changed, and we're in new and uncharted political waters
Dark times
Miller is what results when a self-hating Jew embraces fascism. It's happened before.
I agree there is no alternative to working to get some of the levers of power, including Congressional control, back. But we have to be really careful what we promise. "Stop him from doing more damage" is more realistic than "fix what he broke." The last thing we need is to win an election, then get blamed for not returning things to the way they were before.
Returning things to the way they were before goes only part way as too many people were angry and/or didn’t vote.
The Democratic Party and DNC must think longer term and more ‘socialist’ and not neoliberal. IMHO
Irrelevant politically, but I’m writing this with tears in my eyes over the stunningly beautiful paragraph directly beneath the BBB/Medicaid question. Deeply humane, compassionate, inclusive, considerate, and written with as much grace as anything I’ve read in many years. Words not strung together but each perfectly matched to all the others, lovely to read silently, but equally lovely read aloud. From an old woman who loves the English language nearly as deeply as she loves people, thank you.
His finger positions look like a handgun!
To the person with two intellectually disabled adult children: There are several ways in which the BBB will cut Medicaid benefits, but the method that will result in the most people losing benefits is work requirements. I'm sure your children are exempt from working under the new law, but work requirements cut a very high percentage of people who are working or exempt because people give up trying to navigate the red tape reporting requirements. So be aware of that -- take the reporting requirements seriously and don't give up. Another way the BBB is intended to cause attrition is by requiring recipients to "reprove" eligibility every 6 months rather than annually. Watch out for that too. Both of these go into effect January 1, 2027, conveniently after the midterms.
I think we need to start amping up the idea that Stephen Miller is running the show. Not only immigration but foreign policy. Co-President Miller, let’s go Time magazine put Hideous Stevie on the cover. Trump doesn’t like being overshadowed or share the spotlight. Svengali Stephen.
I thought your response to the question about whether a blue wave in 2026 could be weakened by the veto power attacked a straw man. The point wasn't to give up and do nothing, as you suggest. Of course not. The point is to not put all eggs in one basket and to focus on additional approaches. You did make that point, but I was hoping for more information about whether Congress, falling short of a 2/3 override of the veto, has any other tools. For example, since Congress has the taxing and spending power, is that something the president can't veto? If so, would a repeal of tax cuts, a restoration of funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid, and anything in a budget reconciliation package not be subject to a veto? I do admire and value your important work.
Regarding the question about stalling the Bove nomination, David Dayen recently had a column where he suggested a strategy where the Senate might be able to block the Big, Beautiful Bill, at least for a long time.
https://prospect.org/politics/2025-05-28-senate-democrats-stop-big-beautiful-bill/
Is that viable for nominations? Why or why not?
I love the question and answer format! Please keep it up!
💥💥💥 DONT MISS THIS!!! 🧨🧨🧨
Please take a look at my Trump-Epstein meme !!!
https://kathleenweber.substack.com/p/they-just-arent-buying-it