iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Michael Linden

Ezra Levin ❌👑 @ezralevin.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Great chatting! I hope the number one takeaway is this: this bullshit bill is not yet law, and public pressure in the next 24 hours could kill or at least delay it. If you’ve never called your rep before, make a plan to call tomorrow - especially if you have a GOP rep!

322784

Reposted by Michael Linden

maura quint @mauraquint.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

I feel lucky that tonight I was able to connect Jennifer and others to a platform and I host 2 tele town halls for thousands of people. If you’re angry and scared, you’re not alone. Thank you to everyone speaking out about this evil budget bill. Talk to friends and family, be loud. It matters.

27415

Reposted by Michael Linden

Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 02/07/2025

Yes, calling your Members of Congress still matters. Tell your GOP representative to vote NO on Trump’s Tax Scam: indivisible.org/resource/cal... Or send an email if you can’t get anyone on the phone: act.indivisible.org/sign/no-cutt...

40942504

Reposted by Michael Linden

Tax War Room @taxwarroom.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

NEW OP-ED: Republicans are trying to pass their tax bill in the Senate this week — but it’s not too late to stop it. Read more from our Director @michaelslinden.bsky.social on the GOP’s Billionaire Tax Scam for @meidastouch.com:

meidasplus.com

The GOP Tax Scam — And How We Fight Back

The American people want Washington to lower costs, not give handouts to the wealthy at their expense.

2126

Reposted by Michael Linden

Tax War Room @taxwarroom.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Our Director @michaelslinden.bsky.social‬ testified before Congress about why this GOP tax bill is uniquely bad: “No major piece of legislation in at least 40 years—and probably longer than that—has simultaneously made the poor poorer while making the rich richer.”

26126

Reposted by Michael Linden

Tax War Room @taxwarroom.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

How does the GOP tax & budget bill impact you? Our Director ‪@michaelslinden.bsky.social‬ has everything you need to know — using 100% nonpartisan sources.

0128

Reposted by Michael Linden

David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

The bill is the GOP’s top priority, and its goals to cut taxes and kick the poor are broadly shared by Republicans. But the scramble to both scale back House cuts *and* add more Senate cuts seems like a heavy lift. prospect.org/politics/202...

The looming problem for this deficit hawk debate also involves the parliamentarian. The current CBO estimate, just updated on Thursday, says that the bill adds $3 trillion in debt when you include interest costs. But under the “current policy baseline” magic math favored by Senate Republicans, which wipes away the $3.7 trillion cost of extending the 2017 tax cuts, the bill actually saves money. However, this is contingent on the parliamentarian’s approval as well. Democrats are going to challenge the current policy baseline magic math, and though some Republicans want the parliamentarian to be ignored, Thune—for now—has said he wouldn’t do that.

If their “current policy baseline” goes away, Republicans will no longer have that fig leaf to say that the bill saves money, and would have a weaker argument to counter the deficit hawks. Suddenly, trillions would have to be found, either by scaling back the tax cuts or adding more spending trims, to reach something closer to deficit neutrality. That’s probably why some Republicans are poking around Medicare, a Trump red line, for cuts. The recipe is for more fights, and more red lines.

Again, the expectation is still that something gets done. But stay tuned.

2346

Reposted by Michael Linden

maura quint @mauraquint.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

*chefs kiss* beautiful display of man who can't be bothered to look into who he's talking to but really wants the world to know he's an asshole

111507

Reposted by Michael Linden

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Today's edition of CAP's InProgress newsletter has me talking a little about the Republican budget reconciliation bill, which you can read below. If you have questions about budget reconciliation in general or the bill itself, I’ll do my best to answer here. my1.americanprogress.org/personalizat...

my1.americanprogress.org

Friend, House Republicans are attempting largest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in U.S. history

3269

Michael Linden @michaelslinden.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Republicans in Congress are trying to ram their Billionaire Tax Scam through the House potentially as soon as TONIGHT. This is not a drill. The bill would strip Medicaid from millions, raise health costs for millions more, cut food assistance, all while handing out new tax breaks for the rich.

0131

Reposted by Michael Linden

maura quint @mauraquint.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Let's talk about what's going on in DC. Republicans have been trying to put together a reconciliation bill, and then hold a full House vote on it. Part of the bill got held up in committee on Friday because some Republicans were mad it didn't cut enough services, so they shut it down for a minute 1/

113745

Reposted by Michael Linden

Chye-Ching Huang @dashching.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Ways & Means bill "would impose onerous burdens on taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit for tens of millions of eligible children and, in doing so, discourage many of them from claiming credits for which they are eligible." New @taxlawcenter.org: taxlawcenter.org/blog/ways-an...

taxlawcenter.org

Ways and Means Bill Would Cut Earned Income Tax Credit by Increasing Bureaucratic Burdens for Families

This post explains how the bill would impose onerous burdens on taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for tens of millions of eligible children and, in doing so, discourage many of th...

24429

Reposted by Michael Linden

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

New @centeronbudget.bsky.social analysis of the draft GOP tax plan released yesterday: Unsurprisingly, it provides enormous tax cuts for the wealthy—including an average annual $65k cut for the top 1%—while doing little for low- and moderate-income families in 2027 (and even less by 2029).

29599249

Reposted by Michael Linden

Tax War Room @taxwarroom.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

Cutting Medicaid and SNAP to fund massive tax breaks for the wealthy is reckless and morally indefensible. @michaelslinden.bsky.social testifying before Congress today:

011838

Michael Linden @michaelslinden.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

It will never stop being remarkable to me that Congressional Republicans see these trends and think to themselves, "Well, we've got to push forward with a colossally unpopular package of Medicaid cuts and tax breaks for the rich. That'll surely turn this around."

092

Reposted by Michael Linden

Families Over Billionaires @fobaction.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

This week we’ve seen no shortage of constituents at community town halls — but in many areas the local Member of Congress is MIA. With so much at stake, the people are showing up — and they’re noticing who isn’t. Take a look at yesterday’s highlights from FSA and its state partners:

open.substack.com

RECESS ROUNDUP: As Local Members Of Congress Hide, Other Reps Engage Their Orphaned Constituents

This week we’ve seen no shortage of constituents at community town halls — but in many areas the local MoC is MIA.This Substack is reader-supported.

1299

Reposted by Michael Linden

Tax War Room @taxwarroom.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

This will be a disaster.

03111

Reposted by Michael Linden

Tax War Room @taxwarroom.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Our director @michaelslinden.bsky.social is right: Republicans in Congress “know what happens they try to take people’s health care away... they know what happens when they raise prices for everybody in America.” It’s not too late for them to take a different path.

1133

Reposted by Michael Linden

Heather Boushey @hboushey.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

When your parents or friends or even you have trouble getting what you earned from Social Security, remember that this was the work of President Trump, Elon Musk, and a big ugly chainsaw that this Congress, led by Republicans, has empowered. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

washingtonpost.com

Social Security website keeps crashing, as DOGE demands cuts to IT staff

The worsening problems come as Elon Musk’s DOGE team pushes for more cuts at the agency, including in the department that oversees the website.

24211

Reposted by Michael Linden

Eric Blanc @ericblanc.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Look at the size of today's #HandsOff! protest in Topeka, Kansas 👀 Turns out people don't like billionaires stealing their government

101390286

Michael Linden @michaelslinden.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

This this this this this this this this this this this!!!!!

315135

Reposted by Michael Linden

James Medlock @jdcmedlock.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Hey, that’s my whole bit 👋 These are dark times for Tax Positivity, but I believe from this wreckage we will have a chance to build an economy where we can pay our taxes with pride knowing we’re contributing to the common good

2166883

Reposted by Michael Linden

Families Over Billionaires @fobaction.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

WATCH: As Senate Republicans prepare to vote on their billionaire-first agenda, Families Over Billionaires director Michael Linden talked to Nicolle Wallace about the consequences for everyday Americans. #TaxTheRich

56526

Reposted by Michael Linden

Tax War Room @taxwarroom.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

WATCH: As Senate Republicans prepare to vote on their billionaire-first agenda, our director @michaelslinden.bsky.social talked to MSNBC's @nicollewallace.bsky.social about the consequences for everyday Americans.

2146

Reposted by Michael Linden

Emily Gee @emily-gee.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

Sorry Sen Hawley but you’ve been lied to. There’s no way to cut $880B from Medicaid without massive benefit cuts for millions of low-income Americans.

2239

Reposted by Michael Linden

Bryce Covert @brycecovert.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

We are not in a recession yet, but I want to just be very clear if and when one starts: Trump was handed a very strong economy and he alone fucked it up newrepublic.com/article/1892...

newrepublic.com

Bidenomics Was Wildly Successful

The president’s domestic record wasn’t just extraordinary. It might put Democrats back in power in four years.

25717

Reposted by Michael Linden

southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

So the basic proposal, if I’m following correctly, is to wrench the whole American consumer economy back to Gilded Age protectionism by means of Executive fiat, right now, tonight, while Congress tries to relieve the tax burden on some rich people but everyone else goes on paying income taxes too.

25495172094

Reposted by Michael Linden

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

Republicans have signaled their intent to break all budget rules in the Senate by inventing their own cost estimates on the spot. This would be many steps towards nuking the filibuster - and you may as well repeal the entire Congressional Budget Act at that point. Thread explaining it would work

25567225

Michael Linden @michaelslinden.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

If Republicans in DC keep pursuing their colossally unpopular and extreme agenda of cutting health care and food assistance to pay for tax breaks for the rich, get ready to see a lot more maps like this one.

0185

Michael Linden @michaelslinden.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Unbelievable. Apparently Trump and Musk think people have to freeze in the winter and roast in the summer so that there's more money to spend on tax breaks for the rich.

0116

Reposted by Michael Linden

Tax War Room @taxwarroom.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

WATCH: What exactly does “budget reconciliation” mean? Our director @michaelslinden.bsky.social breaks down Republicans’ billionaire-first tax scam so you have the facts.

0124

Michael Linden @michaelslinden.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Let me get this straight: we can't "afford" to track disease, research cures or make sure food and drugs are safe, but we can afford to spend $4.5 trillion on tax breaks that mostly go to the rich?

211091294

Michael Linden @michaelslinden.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

"The Senate" in this case = every Republican senator but one. Every Democratic senator voted against this.

0104

Michael Linden @michaelslinden.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Remember, this doesn't actually change anything for actual human beings. Regardless of the "baseline," their bill is still a giant, expensive tax cut mostly for the rich, that everyone else will have to pay for one way or another.

071

Michael Linden @michaelslinden.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

"Hard decisions" always seems to mean that everyday people lose their health care or their education or their housing. It never seems to mean that rich people and corporations give up their tax breaks.

510337

Reposted by Michael Linden

Ben D’Avanzo @bendavanzo.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

It should be a major scandal that the Social Security Administration made it harder for parents to register their babies in Maine to punish the President's enemies www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/u...

In another instance, the Social Security Administration briefly ended a contract that had allowed parents of newborn babies to sign their children up for a Social Security numbers at the hospital, instead requiring them to do so in person at an office.

422635838

Reposted by Michael Linden

Ben Zipperer @benzipperer.org · 25/03/2025

Underappreciated is that Trump and Musk will increase the amount of fraud through their attacks on Social Security The chaos and service disruptions are perfect opportunities for scammers to steal identities and benefits www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Screenshot from the linked article that reads as follows:

Scammers are already taking advantage of the chaotic moment, according to internal emails obtained by The Post. Last week, staff in several offices warned employees that seniors were reporting receiving emails from fake accounts pretending to be linked to Social Security. The messages asked recipients to verify their identity to keep receiving benefits, per the emails.

“Sounds like scammers are jumping on this press release to trick the elderly,” one Social Security staffer wrote to colleagues on Thursday, referring to the agency’s announcement of the in-person verification program.

1024695

Reposted by Michael Linden

John Cassidy @johncassidysays.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

"Some Republicans have denied that they are singling out Medicaid and SNAP for big cuts, but simple arithmetic undermines this claim." My new column:

0238

Reposted by Michael Linden

John Cassidy @johncassidysays.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

New column on the WH/GOP pincer movement against entitlement programs. Musk/DOGE chip away at gov't departments, such as the Social Security Administration, while Republicans on Capitol Hill target Medicaid & food assistance to pay for regressive tax cuts. www.newyorker.com/news/the-fin...

newyorker.com

Don’t Believe Trump’s Promises About Protecting the Social Safety Net

The Social Security Administration is shuttering offices, and the Republicans’ own math suggests that they are planning big cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.

033

Reposted by Michael Linden

Eric Lipton NYT @ericlipton.nytimes.com · 23/03/2025

Elon Musk might be cutting government spending, but not on his own projects — billions in extra federal money is likely headed toward SpaceX, thanks to policy changes that will make the world’s richest man even richer. A NYT investigation examines the Trump-era shift toward SpaceX nyti.ms/4kPE8VJ

nyti.ms

Musk’s SpaceX Could Secure Billions in New Contracts Under Trump (Gift Article)

Elon Musk’s role in the White House allows him to cancel contracts and influence policy, potentially benefiting his companies. Supporters say he has the best technology.

16526771217

Reposted by Michael Linden

Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

To recap: Trump admin is firing Social Security employees; requiring beneficiaries to visit field offices in person instead of calling; and then saying any beneficiaries whose checks don’t come, and who therefore can’t pay the rent, must be fraudsters. Insane. And not what Americans voted for.

1041008299

Reposted by Michael Linden

Tax War Room @taxwarroom.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

WATCH: GOP members of Congress are back in their districts this week — and it isn’t going well.

0274

Reposted by Michael Linden

Ernie Tedeschi @ernietedeschi.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Important new work from my @budgetlab.bsky.social colleagues Harris Eppsteiner & John Ricco on the House budget resolution. Neutral illustrative policies consistent w/ committee deficit targets suggest the proposed tax + spending cuts are regressive: they benefit the top & hurt the bottom. 1/3

33917

Reposted by Michael Linden

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

The Trump tax plan only works by cutting public services. This incredible visualization combines the potential tax cuts (which mostly go to the rich) and loss of services (mostly borne by the poor). It is a giant wealth transfer from the poorest to the richest. budgetlab.yale.edu/news/250319/...

421676846