Letters for Saturday, Oct. 18

Republican scam

Even politically engaged constituents of our Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner may have been puzzled by his abrupt referral to the “Working Family Tax Cuts” bill in his recent Friday emails. Weekly since Sept. 19, identical sections began with “As part of the Working Family Tax Cuts bill, applications are now open for states to apply for funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program, a historic $50 billion investment aimed at strengthening rural health care across America.”

If you’ve never heard about the “Working Family Tax Cuts” bill being passed, it’s because it never was. The misnomer One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by House Republicans – including Baumgartner – without one Democratic vote, was so unpopular with the public that congressional Republicans renamed it the greater misnomer “Working Family Tax Cuts” bill without telling anybody.

But a simple reading of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office report on this renamed bill reveals it is anything but a help for typical working families. The CBO report clearly states that loss or increasing cost of healthcare for most working families will more than cancel out their miniscule tax cuts while billionaires receive massive cuts. Widespread loss of Medicaid and elimination of Obamacare subsidies for low- and middle-income Americans will overwhelmingly counteract the (again misnomer) “historic $50 billion investment aimed at strengthening rural health care across America” and make working families’ healthcare highly unaffordable.

Republicans shut down government to save their scam rather than negotiate with Democrats’ demands to restore affordable healthcare.

Norm Luther

Spokane

Government shutdown

In Michael Baumgartner’s recent email newsletter, he states that to end the government shutdown, Democrats are insisting on taxpayer funded health care for illegal immigrants. This is an outright lie! Illegal immigrants are not eligible for taxpayer funded health care in the United States. And with all of the illegal activity of ICE, I doubt any illegal immigrant would want to draw attention to himself/herself by trying to obtain health care. The true reason for Democrats not caving to MAGA Republicans, like our representative, is because Democrats want an extension of the expiring tax credits which makes health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans. Also, Democrats want a reversal of Trump’s cuts to Medicaid that will drastically adversely affect millions of people, primarily elderly, disabled and low income.

It’s obvious that all our representative cares about is screwing over his constituents, so that he can keep the favor of the fascist dictator Trump.

Carrie Cadenas

Spokane

Baumgartner’s minor objections

Our representative, Michael Baumgartner, says he wants Congress to be a part of the war effort the president has launched against Venezuela but then when the Democrats move to invoke War Powers Resolution, he votes it down along with all fellow Republicans except Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski. Baumgartner says he wants Congress included, truly a very minor “but I object sir!” To his point of wanting to be included in decisions, but there are no signs of courage in this action of his. I don’t care if his statement, “some of my friends in college were Venezuelan,” in fact it shows more of his cowardice than knowledge base. Come November 2026 this man must be removed, although we have a recall process for state representatives and maybe we will have to change it to federal as well. Michael, you represent us, not the current occupant of the gold-plated White House.

Debbie Detmer

Spokane