House Republicans Hindrance of Trump's "Impressive, Majestic Legislation"
HOST:
Scott Simon here, and we're discussing President Trump's big, beautiful bill that his fellow Republicans blocked yesterday in the House. Joining us is NPR's Ron Elving. Hey, Ron, thanks for being here!
ELVING: Good to be with you, Scott.
SIMON: President said online to stop talking and get it done. What happened?
ELVING: They didn't get it done, at least not yesterday. The big bill, packed with Trump's domestic agenda, failed in committee. Five Republican representatives - Chip Roy, Ralph Norman, Lloyd Smucker, Josh Brecheen, and Andrew Clyde – joined forces with all the committee's Democrats in voting it down. The Democrats argued the bill cut too much from programs like Medicaid, health, and education. In contrast, these five Republicans believed the bill did not cut enough and that the bill would dramatic add to the deficit and national debt. In fact, a whopping $3.7 trillion over 10 years[1], according to the nonpartisan Joint Tax Committee, would be the result of this big bill.
SIMON: Is this bill being blocked - is that why the rating agencies, like Moody's, voted to strip the US of its AAA rating yesterday?
ELVING: Yes, it certainly seems that way, but remember the other two major rating agencies had already downgraded the U.S. based on the mounting U.S. debt and future deficits weeks earlier. This has been a long time in the making, Scott. The national debt stood at around 1 trillion dollars when Ronald Reagan was first president, but after that, the previous aversion to big-budget deficits eroded in both major political parties.
SIMON: President Trump ended his trip through Persian Gulf states yesterday, announcing lots of business deals, dodging Israel, and opening relations with the new government in Syria, headed by a man who just a few weeks ago was considered a terrorist. And the president said he wants to reach an agreement with Iran. What's stood out to you, Ron?
ELVING: Trump says he's bringing deals back to the United States that will mean trillions in investment dollars here. While not many details or clarity about these deals have been released, everyone gets the point. This is a deal-oriented president who likes transactions. The royal families of the Persian Gulf know this language well.
On Iran, Trump alleged a deal may be in the works. However, he added that a deal needs to happen soon or something bad will happen. Sounds like the threats of fire and fury against North Korea eight years ago. In addition, the Dealer Emir of Qatar has offered Trump a brand-new aircraft to be used as the new Air Force One and then donated to the Trump Library after his term. Trump said he would accept this gift, stating he would be a fool to refuse it[2].
SIMON: He criticized what he called the interventionist foreign policies of previous administrations. Didn't liberal Democrats used to hold this position as well?
ELVING: Yes, it did. Democrat George McGovern's slogan in his 1972 presidential campaign was "Come home, America." The argument questioning foreign commitments has long been central to populism, which has mattered at various times in both of our major political parties[3].
SIMON: Revelations continue from books detailing what they say was President Biden's mental decline in the White House. I feel the need to be blunt. Did powerful Democrats and White House staff deliberately let a man they judged to be incapable of fulfilling his sworn duties stay on in the most powerful office in the world so they could elect a successor?
ELVING: The reporting in these books expands on what was evident even a year ago. At the time, Biden was not entirely the man he had been. Some argue the Biden team believed they could manage his decline and the public perception of it, to protect him and potentially win another term, ultimately managing the succession. However, the failure of the Democrats to address the issue could have had disastrous consequences for the nation[4].
SIMON: NPR's Ron Elving, thank you as always!
ELVING: Thank you, Scott.
- The five Republican representatives who voted against the big bill argued that it did not cut enough and would dramatically add to the deficit and national debt, a concern that is often addressed in policy-and-legislation discussions and general news.
- The government's handling of President Biden's perceived mental decline has become a topic of intense debate in politics, with some suggesting that powerful Democrats and White House staff may have allowed him to continue in office for strategic purposes, which falls under crime-and-justice and general news.
- President Trump's approach to foreign policy, characterized by a focus on deals and minimizing intervention, is reminiscent of positions taken by populists in both major political parties, a connection that lies within the realms of politics and general news.
