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I am old enough to remember when Republicans and Democrats understood that their political leanings took a back seat to the fact that being an American was more important than being Democrats or Republicans. Bipartisan legislation was not unusual, and compromise was not a four-letter word. That was when our leaders recognized the value of hearing from ALL sides before writing laws that affected ALL Americans. Those days no longer exist. For far too long both political parties have acted as if they represented different countries, not different ideologies. No country, not even the greatest country on earth, can achieve its full potential when half of its citizens are pulling for it to fail.

Those we elect to make decisions have divided themselves into two distinct warring tribes. This us vs. them attitude in D.C. will have dire consequences for current and future generations of Americans. There is one thing that Democrats have always done better than Republicans. Their elected representatives have dutifully done what their leaders told them to do. Whether those leaders were iron fisted like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, or current milk toasts Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, the rank-and-file fall in line as if leaving Hamelin behind the Pied Piper. Getting Republicans to come together, on the other hand, is rather like herding cats. Both parties must put an end to their childish behavior if we are to preserve this great nation for future generations.

From what I have read of the recently passed Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) (I still despise that title), it appears to be generally good for the majority of Americans. As with any 1,000-page bill there are sure to be things that we don’t like and some negative unintended consequences. The odds of the bill containing disappointments were increased because Republican margins in both the House and Senate are razor thin. Knowing there would be zero votes coming from Dems. a lot of horse trading and behind the scenes deals were made to get the requisite number of Republicans to go along. I have no doubt the bill would have been better had just 10% of Dems. joined in writing the legislation. As good as it is, their support would have reduced the number of concessions and almost certainly produced a better bill.

Does it seem logical that not one of the 212 Democrat members of the House of Representatives, and not one of the 47 Democrat Senators voted for this bill? When you consider that some of these people represent constituents in “red” and/or “purple” districts, it seems almost mathematically impossible for such a vote. Regardless of political affiliation, the vast majority of us are in favor of most of the law’s provisions. For instance, every wage earner will benefit from its lower income tax rates. We are all adamantly opposed to the increase in tax rates that would have statutorily occurred had the bill failed. Do the “no” voters want to raise our taxes? That is not a winner with Americans.

A significant percent of us, conservatives and liberals alike, want to see criminal illegal aliens deported. Both Democrats and Republicans want illegal aliens and others who have no right to collect taxpayer funded government benefits removed from the rolls of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The new law facilitates removing them. It also implements popular work requirements before citizens can receive taxpayer funded benefits. Once we stop paying benefits to the millions of people who are not entitled to them, the three programs will be more stable thus lasting longer for those citizens who desperately need them. A similar law was passed when Bill Clinton was President. When Clinton’s law required 30 hours of employment, volunteer work, or job training, for able bodied citizens to receive benefits there wasn’t a peep from his fellow Dems. Trump’s bill requires just 20 hours, and the Dems. are apoplectic. Are the “no” votes telling us they want illegals, fraudsters, and layabouts, benefitting at the expense of those of us who go to work every day? That seems irrational.

While on the campaign trail Trump proposed a policy of no tax on tips. The Dems. laughed derisively and ridiculed the idea. Then V.P. Harris suggested the same plan and the Dems. cheered, hooray! As promised, it appeared in the bill, along with no tax on overtime or on Social Security benefits. Dems. are caterwauling that the BBB is a tax plan that helps billionaires while hurting middle-and lower-class Americans. I’m asking you, seriously, how many billionaires do you suppose are surviving on tips, overtime, or Social Security? It is precisely the middle-and lower-class citizens in America who will benefit most from these provisions of the BBB.

There are too many other positive provisions to mention in this blog. Time is running out for the Democrats in Congress. They continue to find themselves on the wrong side of every issue that is important to the American people. The 2026 midterms are just 16 months away. There is no hope for the Dem. representatives suffering from stages 4, or 5, of the disease identified as Trump Derangement Syndrome. For those in the earlier stages there is still a chance. But they must immediately reassess their positions. It seems to me they have 2 choices. 1. They can continue on the ruinous path they are currently on, thereby securing Republican majorities for years to come. 2. Or, if they love the USA, they can ignore Jeffries’ and Schumer’s terrible advice and go to work for their constituents instead of their party. They must stop hoping that Trump will fail and be helpful in ensuring his success. For you see, the success of a President almost always coincides with the success of his country. If they wish to be reelected, I strongly suggest option 2. At the end of the day, you can’t just love your country when you win. You must work to improve the lives of those you represent, even when you lose.

Thank you for your continued support of my blogs. Bob