iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Really cool graph from @ernietedeschi.bsky.social on the bad site. Gen Z is the wealthiest generation in history controlling for age. Millennials are now finally wealthier than previous generations were at the same age. We are a very rich country. The problem always is bad distribution of wealth.

US Median Real Wealth per Adult by Age & Generation
Constant 2025 dollars

In General each generation is slightly wealthier than the previous ones eventually, but only slightly.

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

The Big Beautiful Bill cut corporate income taxes pretty substantially. Corporate tax revenues came in even lower than expected.

corporate tax revenue was at around 1.7% of GDP when BBB was enacted. Now it's down to 1.2% of GDP.

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

New annual PCE data today! Here's spending on alcohol for consumption at home (as opposed to a bar or something). It's adjusted for both inflation specific to alcohol and population growth. Easy to see the COVID jump.

Line go way way way way up, particularly during covid

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

New annual PCE data today! Here's spending on movie tickets, adjusted for inflation and population growth. Post-COVID, people just go to the movies way less.

flat from like 1971-2020, and now it's about half of what it was before.

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

New PCE data today! Here's total household spending on tobacco in the US, adjusted for inflation and population growth in billions of 2025 dollars.

started going down in 1981. was a bit below 600 billion. now lowest on record, just around 100 billion.

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

New annual PCE data are out today! The graph on the left shows total household spending on pets. The graph on the right shows spending on pets as a percent of total household spending (ofc people who have pets spend more than this & people w/out pets spend nothing). Notice the huge COVID bump!

total spending on pets is a bit below $200 bn per year, up from much lower levels in the past

spending on pets as a percent of total spending has grown from 0.2% to 0.9%.

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Article I stand up for itself challenge 2026 (impossible if you’re in Republican leadership apparently)

Erik Wasson
@elwasson
x.com
POWER OF PURSE: @LeaderJohnThune dodges on whether $1B in cuts implemented by OMB w/
• Congress Friday night is illegal. Says he expects litigation

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I think something to consider here is that Collins voted to confirm Russ Vought as OMB Director despite the fact that he said a billion times that he thought Trump had a constitutional right to illegally impound funds, and now she’s doing shocked Pikachu reactions.

Sen. Susan Collins • fAl
劉
@SenatorCollins
X.com
Without warning or consultation, Congress just received an $810 million package of pocket rescissions from the Administration. This is the most recent attempt by this Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to undermine Congress's Constitutional power of the purse.
This move shows that OMB intentionally withheld these funds for months to execute this unlawful cancellation of appropriations that were approved on a bipartisan basis and signed into law.

Not only is the delay itself an impoundment that was not reported to Congress, but also it is a usurpation of Congress's appropriations powers.
OMB is an agency of the executive branch. It does not get to decide which programs are worth funding.
The independent Government Accountability Office has concluded that pocket rescissions are unlawful and not permitted by the Impoundment Control Act. Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law.
I will work with my colleagues to address these illegal actions.

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

This is an absolutely insane list lol

Che Net Hork Cimes
The 100 Best TV Shows of the 21* Century
I WANT TO SEE IT
IVE SEEN
口
Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
2. The Wire (2002-2008)
Mad Men (2007-2015)
Succession (2018-2023)
5. Fleabag (2016-2019)
6. Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
7. Veep (2012-2019)
8.
30 Rock (2006-2013)
9. Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-2024)
10. Atlanta (2016-2022)
11. The Office (U.S.) (2005-2013)
12. Arrested Development (2003-2019)
13. Girls (2012-2017)
14. Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)
15. Six Feet Under (2001-2005)
16. The Office (U.K.) (2001-2003)
17. The Americans (2013-2018)
18. I May Destroy You (2020)
19. Chernobyl (2019)
20. The Crown (2016-2023)
21. The White Lotus (2021-present)
22. Lost (2004-2010)
23. The Comeback (2005-2026)
24. Deadwood (2004-2006)
25. The Leftovers (2014-2017)
26. Black Mirror (2011-present)
27. Better Call Saul (2015-2022)
28. Band of Brothers (2001)
29. Key & Peele (2012-2015)
30. Severance (2022-present)
31. Survivor (2000-present)
32. Andor (2022-2025)
33. Enlightened (2011-2013)
34. Schitt's Creek (2015-2020)
35. True Detective (Season 1) (2014)
36. The Pitt (2025-present)
37. Battlestar Galactica (2005-2009)
38. Homeland (2011-2020)
39. Watchmen (2019)
40. Adolescence (2025)
41. Louie (2010-2015)
42. Hacks (2021-2026)
43. Peaky Blinders (2013-2022)
44. Bolack Horseman (2014-2020)
45. Happy Valley (2014-2023)
46. Broad City (2014-2019)
47. Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)
48. House of Cards (2013-2018)
49. Normal People (2020)
50. Parks and Recreation (2009-2015)
Explore the list at nytimes.com/bestTV
L
口
口
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
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85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
The Good Place (2016-2020)
Downton Abbey (2010-2015)
Stranger Things (2016-2025)
The Bureau (2015-2020)
Insecure (2016-2021)
Nathan for You (2013-2017)
I Think You Should Leave (2019-present)
Chappelle's Show (2003-2006)
PEN15 (2019-2021)
Peep Show (2003-201…

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Have been incredibly busy these past two months, but finally really turning my attention back to my upcoming appropriations paper. Some of the data are not 100% done yet, but I want to focus on how much domestic discretionary funding has been cut in the last few years. Posted only on Bluesky.

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The only debt limit deal Ds should agree to is to eliminate it entirely — or at minimum suspend it for a decade. It is only used to extort policy concessions under threat of permanently damaging the country, & it only works because everyone knows Rs are reckless enough to actually pull the trigger.

Erik Wasson & @elwasson
X.com
DEBT CEILING: @RepJeffries asked if there will be big fight on debt limit next Congress suggests deal may emerge in lame duck session

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Trump is really out there being like "if i can't get it, then no one gets it." A man child.

The Board of The Kennedy Center today agreed, almost unanimously, to close the Building for Safety reasons, and so that it can begin the process of Reconstruction. The closing will take place immediately, however, the Renovation and Reconstruction, which is a very large and complex job, cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the Board’s approved name. If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place. The attorneys from the DOJ will ask for an expedited appeal. In the meantime, 17 Million Dollars, raised by President Trump, has been put into The Kennedy Center account to keep it afloat. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Wonder what could have caused the public to change their mind on this issue that Republicans have traditionally enjoyed an advantage on

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Democrats +10 on the deficit, you love to see it 🥲

THE NEW YORK TIMES/SIENA POLL
SEPT. 8-13
Regardless of how you might vote, please tell me which party you trust to do a better job handling each of the following:
Health care
DEM.
REP.
Margin
60%

36%
D+24
Immigration

52

45
D+7
The deficit

51

41
D+10
The economy

51

45
D+7
The cost of living

51

43
D+8
Foreign wars

50

43
D+7
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict

49
13
38
D+11
Artificial intelligence

18
42
R+2

Don't know

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Interest payments are already the highest as a percent of GDP they've ever been in all of US history, on track to keep growing, despite CBO assuming average rates never break 4.2% (see follow-up post). If rates stay elevated, it's a disaster for our long-term outlook.

Interest/gdp is set to grow from 3.2% today to 7.9% by 2056. if interest rates are instead 0.5% higher, it'll grow to 9.8%. if they're instead 1% higher, it'll grow to 12.1%.

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Absolutely wild graph from @ernietedeschi.bsky.social on the bad site. After adjusting for inflation, annualized data center investment this quarter was close to four times what it was in 2022. Private investment for all structures excluding data centers was down 5%.

Real Private Investment: Data Centers
2022=100
Real Private Nonresidential Structures Investment ex Data Centers
2022=100
INDEX
450 -
INDEX
+450
375 -
- 375
300 -
- 300
225-
- 225
150 -
- 150
75.
1
ー
20
21
22
23
24
Source: @ernietedeschi/Bureau of Economic Analysis/Haver Analytics
25
- 75
26

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Every time I update this graph it still makes my jaw drop

US and UK real gdp per capita. they basically moved in lockstep until 2007Q4

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

culture victory 🫡 (peterson listing tax cuts as the number one driver of debt would have been unthinkable a few years ago)

peter g. peterson foundation, Fiscal Outlook
4 Ways the United States Got to $40 Trillion in National Debt

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Republican administrations enact enormous tax cuts tilted towards the richest, get shocked Pikachu about deficits, and then call to decimate social programs that Americans rely on A tale as old as time

Jeff Stein * @jstein_notus
X.com
As the concern about the debt exacerbates the bond market, the Treasury secretary just said that he & OMB would be pursuing hundreds of billions in cuts to federal spending. I think the obvious Q is why they can now do what Musk could not

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

You can’t talk about debt without talking about how we got into a bad predicament, and there’s only one correct answer: tax cuts enacted this century

U.S. debt is on track to reach historic levels
Debt held by the public as a percentage of the gross domestic product, 1792-2055
- Historical - • Projected → Without Bush and Trump tax cuts
187.55%
180%
160
140
120|
100
80
99.38%
60
• 47.85%
40
20
0
1800|
1820 1840 1860|
1880
1900 1920 1940|
1960|
1980 2000 2020 2040|
Hover or click to see values.
• Notes:
Source: Authors' calculations using data from the Congressional Budget Office, the Joint Committee on Taxation, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal Reserve, the Yale Budget Lab, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. A full list of sources is available here.
Chart: Center for American Progress

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Read the report by my buddy Chandler that caused Trump to have a meltdown: www.americanprogress.org/article/the-...

Donald J. Trump *
++
@realDonaldTrump
Chandler Hall, representing, on Television, the foolish Center for American Lack of Progress, stated that adding the National Guard to Cities, including our now Great Again, Washington, D.C., had "NO impact on Crime." How crazy is that. Hall was met with furious dissent. The report is just another Radical Left SCAM, as are the people who fund this gaggle of Lunatics, including George Soros, Bill and Melinda Gates, Google, Apple, Visa, Goldman

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

can i get a lfg in the chat?

hobbit magic pre-release set on a middle earth playmat

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

The White House corruptly and illegally cancelled grants for states that voted against Trump. I know this sort of thought exercise is tiring, but imagine if a Democratic president cancelled grants only for states that voted against them. There’d be wall-to-wall coverage and impeachment hearings!

Trump Administration
Admits Canceling Grants to States That Did Not Vote for Him
Federal officials said in court documents that they halted billions of dollars in funding for energy projects to states "based solely" on whether they backed President Trump in the 2024 election.

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

if my (illegal) actions were directly responsible for hundreds of thousands of people dying, i’d probably have a tough time emotionally coming to terms with it too :/

The Economist Y @TheEconomist
X.com
•@elonmusk says zero people died from DOGE cuts to USAID. The billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, in his own words, helped feed the policy to the woodchipper last year, when he was the head of America's Department of Government Efficiency. In an exclusive interview, @zannymb, The Economist's editor-in-chief, challenges his claims: bit.ly/3RNqFnH

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

dems winning on handling government spending better, brings a tear to your eyes 🥹

60%
40%
20%
Income Inequality
60%
38%
/FOX NEWS POLL
WHO POLITICAL PARTY WOULD BETTER HANDLE TOP ISSUES?
Which political party - the Democrats or the Republicans - do you think would do a better job on each of the following?
• Democratic Party
Republican Party
Healthcare
Inflation and prices
The economy
Forelgn policy
Government spending
Immigration
National security
60%
54%
54%
53%
51%
50%
49%
50%
44%
45%
48%
48%
46%
39%
Crime
53%
46%

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

The House veterans debacle today made me curious, so I just graphed veterans spending from 1940-2026. It wouldn't have been my gut instinct, but turns out veterans spending is the highest since 1952.

Line go way up right after ww2, then go down, hit lowest in 2000, and now up from half a percent of gdp to 1.4%, the highest since 1952.

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

This is funny because the White House says, in order to get the reconciliation bill done, Congress must pass the "budget resolution—without modification—immediately." But this budget resolution *must be* modified before it can be used for reconciliation. Amateur hour from the White House.

001%
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503
July 16, 2026
(House)
Concurrent Resolution Establishing the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2027 and Setting Forth the appropriate Budgetary Levels for
Fiscal Years 2028 through 2036
(Rep. Arrington, R-1X)
The Administration strongly supports the immediate passage of the resolution entitled
"Concurrent resolution establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2027 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2028 through 2036."
This budget resolution is a crucial first step in allowing congressional Republicans to quickly pass a budget reconciliation bill that protects America's elections, strengthens America's national defense, and supports American farmers.
For too long, congressional Democrats have obstructed efforts to restore confidence in American elections. This budget resolution begins the process to enable the Congress to enact critical election integrity measures included in the desperately-needed SAVE America Act on a party-line basis via the budget reconciliation process. The SAVE America Act includes commonsense measures to ensure only U.S. citizens are registered to vote in Federal elections and require the use of voter ID, which are critical for election integrity.
The reconciliation bill made possible by this budget resolution would also provide funding necessary for the Department of War (DOW) to cover increased operational costs and readiness expenses, while making investments to support critical capabilities, munitions procurement, and strengthen the U.S. industrial base. The reconciliation bill would also help lower food prices by providing much-needed economic assistance to America's farmers.
The Administration is committed to working closely with the Congress to pass another budget reconciliation bill as soon as possible to secure the Nation's election…

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Did you see the new Doctor Doom card?

Lifelink
T: You draw a card and lose 1 life. Then if your library has no cards in it, you win the game. (You win even if you have 0 life or didn't draw a card.)
Rarity:M
#:654
Card Type:Legendary Creature — Human Sorcerer Villain
Flavor:"Those who dare stand against Doom do not stand for long!"
Casting Cost:
2BB
Artist:Vilhelmas Banys

031

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

I know that I am the only person on the planet excited for this set, but truly how could I not be

LCARS 23493
01-25483
CAPTAIN KATHRYN JANEWAY
3
478
060206
LEGENDARY CREATURE - HUMAN OFFICER
02-35478
03-42590
YOU MAY PLAY AN ADDITIONAL LAND ON EACH OF YOUR TURNS.
WHENEVER CAPTAIN JANEWAY OR ANOTHER CREATURE YOU CONTROL ENTERS, THAT CREATURE EXPLORES.
04-72581
05-29452
M 0386
TRK • EN JURIUS CHITROVAS
2/3
© 2026 CBS.
™M & © 2026 Wizards of the Coast

CAPTAIN JAMEG T. KIRK
LEGENORRS CRERTURE - HUMAN OFFICER
Whenever Captain Kirk enters or attacks, choose one. If you have no cards in hand, choose one or more instead.
• Discard a card, then draw a card.
• Create a 1/1 red Officer creature token.
• Creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
M 0418
TRK • EN lOSH NEWTON
2/2
© 2026 CBS.
™ & © 2026 Wizards of the Coast

LCARS 23493
01-25483
DR. BEVERLY CRUSHER
478
060206
LEGENDARY CREATURE - HUMAN DOCTOR
02-35478
03-42590
IF YOU GAINING LIFE CAUSES A TRIGGERED ABILITY OF A PERMANENT YOU CONTROL TO TRIGGER, THAT ABILITY TRIGGERS AN ADDITIONAL TIME.
WHENEVER YOU GAIN LIFE, PUT A +1/+1 COUNTER ON DR. CRUSHER.
04-72581
05-29452
M 0366
TRK • EN ANNA CZESZEJKO
2/2
© 2026 CBS.
™ & © 2026 Wizards of the Coast

U.S.S. ENTERPRISE-D, GALAXY-CLASS
LEGENDARY ARTIFACT
SPACECRAFT
WHENEVER
ONE OR MORE
CHARGE
COUNTERS ARE PUT ON U.S.S.
ENTERPRISE D
FOR THE FIRST TIME EACH TURN, EXILE THE TOP CARD OF YOUR LIBRARY, YOU MAY PLAY THAT CARD THIS TURN.
-00
=
STATION
フ+
FLYING, VIGILANCE
4/5
R 0557
TRK *EN ScOTT OKUMURA
© 2026 CBS.
™ & © 2026 Wizards of the Co

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

There are incredible new cancer drugs every year that are showing promise at defeating cancers that were previously guaranteed death sentences — and the Trump administration is doing everything it can to illegally kill the grants that fund the research. MAHA indeed!

Politics & Poll Tracker S*
@PollTracker2024
X.com
Former Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) says in an interview this week that his tumors shrunk by 80% thanks to new cancer drug
Ben Sasse: "I'm down 99%, in five months, of how much cancer is in my blood."
8:04 PM • 7/10/26 • 353K Views

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

I don't think people have really internalized it, but the last few years have devastated our long-term investments.

More than a 9% cut on a real per-capita basis since 2023

0232

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Finally turning to my next piece. Probably won't get it out till mid-August cause of all the other stuff I have going on simultaneously. I don't think people have really internalized how much non-defense discretionary has fallen in recent years. This has most of our long-term investment funding.

line bounce up and down from 1986-2010. Then a level shift down but flat through 2020. And then just down down down down since then.

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

The Social Security Administration sent out an email saying Donald Trump protected Social Security with the Big Beautiful Bill. But according to SSA’s own numbers, the Big Beautiful Bill worsened Social Security’s long-term insolvency.

This weekend, America celebrates its 250th birthday. For over 90 of those years, Social Security has provided financial freedom for America's seniors.
President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Administration are not only protecting Social Security, but we are providing meaningful and immediate relief to older Americans who have spent decades contributing to our nation's economy.
Just last year, on July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. This historic legislation included a tax cut that allows Americans 65 and older to keep more of their hard-earned Social Security benefits. Thanks to President Trump, over 35 million American seniors received an average of $7,500 in relief this tax season.
If you did not take advantage of the President's signature tax cut for seniors, I encourage you to review eligibility. requirements through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website for next

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Congress was gonna ban individual stock trading for members of Congress, but they also wanted the ban to apply to Trump, Vance, and cabinet members. But Trump said he’d veto any bill that banned his ability to trade stocks while in office, so Republicans got scared and the bill died. Behold:

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Archetypical “merely incidental” Byrd rule violation (meaning it can’t happen in reconciliation)

Alayna Treene ® @alaynatreene
X.com
After his SCOTUS loss, Trump is now directing Congress to pass legislation "ending" birthright citizenship
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump • 2m
The Supreme Court upheld Birthright Citizenship, which is too bad for our Country, but we can easily make it up in Congress through Legislation, with the support of the President, that has now been determined during this process. No long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary! Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship. They will have my Complete and Total Support! President DONALD J. TRUMP

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Spotted in the wild,,,, holy shit?

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

As we say in the piece, "Being responsible means not hurting vulnerable Americans by cutting the services upon which they rely."

Conclusion
In the near term, Congress must rediscover its reaction function and seek responsible ways to lower primary deficits. But in the medium term, Congress should aim to eliminate primary deficits fully and pursue a small primary surplus. Crucially, however, Congress should ensure that any deficit reduction does not harm the poorest or vital public services on which Americans rely. Irresponsible deficit reduction is significantly worse than doing nothing, but doing nothing is worse than responsible deficit reduction. Congress should look first and foremost to undo some of the many tax cuts significantly tilted toward the wealthy, which are responsible for the fiscal gap in the first place.

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