The Bill Ugly Bill passed out of the U.S. Senate yesterday around noon. U.S. Representatives were called back into session today by Speaker Mike Johnson in hope of today or tomorrow passing the Senate version without modification so that Donald Trump can gloat on the Fourth of July over Congressional submission to his dictatorial will. Any Representative attempting to amend the Senate version will be spotlit and threatened by Trump and company for messing up Trump’s artificial timeline. (Any amendment would produce a delay while the modified bill goes to a conference committee to hash out differences. After that it would still require final passage by both houses.) The pressure on Representatives to simply vote “Aye” to the Senate version and go home is high.
If you live in Congressional District 5 (eastern Washington) call “your” U.S. Representative Michael Baumgartner’s office right now at 202-225-2006. Identify yourself as one of his constituents (give your address) and tell the staffer you speak with (or the voicemail) that you object to this bill and the speed with which it is being rammed down the throat of the American people. (I’m pretty sure the only real tally they make is those in favor vs. those against.) If you’re doubtful who your Representative is or you need the number for your Representative use 5Calls.org. It’s the numbers of calls—not the detail of the content that important—as long as you register an objection.
There is no guarantee they can pass this abomination before the 4th—although it seems likely that the submissive Republicans in Congress will manage it. The point in calling is to try—and, at the very least, to make them squirm and think twice before they rubber stamp this abomination.
If they pass it our job will be to highlight the consequences of this bill for the next year and a half so that when we go to the polls in 2026 every American remembers what they did.
Keep to the high ground,
Jerry
P.S. I called yesterday. My exchange with the staffer was short, cordial, and non-confrontational. He acknowledged that they were experiencing a lot of calls. Keep it up!