Background:

The Senate has now been bombed with a huge ball of bull****. Among the bits in the big ugly ball of bull: (Thanks to solidaritybucksport for this)

Action: You want our Senators to defeat this bill entirely and go back to a budget that reverses the tax cuts for the very rich. (It’s not like the obscenely wealthy didn’t know this might happen. Rest assured they have planned for the possibility, in case they fail at hoodwinking or bribing Congress.) You also want the new legislation to remove all the policy items that should stand alone and be debated separately, as the Byrd Rule intends (see Action # 119).

How to get our Senators to pay attention? Consider this quote: “Yeah, the counterfactual is always fascinating. If you're ever trying to think through a problem and the solution is elusive, it's often useful to stop and ask yourself, “if I want to achieve the opposite of my goal, what would I do?” And that kind of gives you a map of what to avoid.” (1) In this instance, you would avoid:

1. Doing nothing

2. Haranguing and insulting our Senators

3. Publicly disparaging Trump’s misguided and ill-informed supporters

Remember: “Anger is a power emotion, while fear and dread are impotent” (2). Be motivated, be angry (totally justified!), be deadly serious, and be strategic.

With that in mind, here are the contacts for the delegation. You could drop a note to our Representatives as well, thanking them for voting NAY and asking them to hold firm when the bill comes back to the House. Also, talk with your family, friends, neighbors, and Republicans.

Contact:
Senator Susan Collins: Email: www.collins.senate.gov/contact/email-senator-collins/form

Phone: (202) 224-2523 (DC office), (207) 945-0417 (Bangor office)

Senator Angus King: Email www.king.senate.gov/contact

Phone: (202) 224-5344 (DC office), (207) 945-8000 (Bangor office)

Representative Jared Golden: Email: golden.house.gov/contact

Phone: (202) 224-3121 (DC office), (207) 249-7400 (Bangor office)

Representative Chellie Pingree: Email: https://pingree.house.gov/contact/

Phone: (202) 225-6116 (DC office), (207) 774-5019 (Portland office)

Urgency: Today, and at least every week, until the budget bill gets finalized. Suggestion: Set up a weekly reminder on your computer or your calendar with the links to the Senators’ contact sheets. Make it an item on your “must do” list.

Extra Credit:

(1) Barry Ritholtz in conversation with Paul Krugman, posted on Krugman’s Substack, May 24

(2) An old Carolyn Hax column from 2011

https://newrepublic.com/post/195553/trump-republican-budget-bill-medicare-cuts-cbo

https://newrepublic.com/post/195548/donald-trump-budget-bill-top-democrat-reveals-cuts

And the following, shared by Shelly:

https://social.demcast.com/toolkit/billionairebailout-8e84
https://newrepublic.com/article/195577/gop-threaten-millions-poor-americans

https://www.axios.com/2025/05/21/trump-tax-cuts-budget-deficit-debt

https://www.vox.com/donald-trump/413370/trump-house-big-beautiful-bill-megabill-explained