To Tom Barrett, July 5, 2025
Rep. Barrett:
I received your newsletter today where you bragged about your vote passing the "Big Beautiful Bill." In my 45 years of active political life I have never seen such an insensitive and disgusting piece of propaganda. You claimed that your vote would protect "the integrity of Medicaid and SNAP for those who need them most." This claim is unsupported by any independent analysis from outside experts.
Not that you have ever shown any interest in facts, preferring to merely parrot the lies of the Trump administration, let me set it out for you. A study from the British Medical Journal https://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj.r1250 estimates your vote will lead to "7.6 million more people uninsured, force an extra 1.3 million people to go without the medications they need, and lead to more than 16 000 additional deaths a year."
Hospitals will close, in fact, your vote has already closed one in Nebraska https://www.klkntv.com/rural-southwest-nebraska-clinic-closes-blaming-expected-medicaid-cuts/. Your Congressional District has 10 hospitals, did you give ANY thought to the threat to them before you cast your vote? How many do you think will close? How many will be crippled?
How many of the 1600 deaths you voted for will be from your district? Alternatively, how many of the billionaires you gave huge tax breaks to live in your district? I look forward to your 2026 campaign when you have to look your constituents in the eye and explain that you had to kill their loved ones because Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos needed even more money. Sorry, voter, you had to give up the medicine you needed so the two richest people who ever lived needed that money.