Pushed and pressured to be ready by July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill is a massive 900-page document. Some legislators didn't have time to even read it, yet it has provisions that will affect federal taxes, deductions, and credits, and includes some big cuts to social programs. Carol Abney CPA and host Sandy Rice see if it truly is beautiful for everyone. 

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Guest Kristen Grimm has been a human rights advocate since her son required over 25 surgeries as a young child. This started her journey to save children's hospitals that depend on Medicaid. After giving a brief history of government-funded health care in the United States, she presents her plan to organize around Medicaid, Medicare for All, and human rights to refocus public and government attention on health care reform. Health care is a right, not a privilege. 

Kristen will return to Franklin County, TN, on June 24, beginning at 6 PM, in the community room at the Annex to share her plan and vision and ask for our help. What would it look like if everyone had quality, equitable, affordable  healthcare? 

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The SAFEGUARD AMERICAN VOTING ELIGIBILITY  Act is the latest measure to suppress voting. The fear is that millions of undocumented immigrants, along with dead people, will affect our election integrity. This is false. Therefore, everyone registering should provide proof of citizenship. This is easier said than done. This act will disproportionately affect 1st time voters and women taking their spouse's last name. The SAVE Act presents another barrier to exercising our right to vote, especially in Tennessee, where the ballot box is so protected that voter turnout is the lowest in the country.

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My guest today is Sarah Edmonds, the director of the Community Action Committee's food pantry in Sewanee, Tennessee. Several unique opportunities with the students and food services of the University of the South, a church, and a farmer's cooperative provide a variety of healthy food options to those in need. There are increasing barriers though from the state and Federal Governments. This is part 2 of the discussion regarding massive cuts to the Medicaid and SNAP programs proposed by the America (not Americans) First agenda. 

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US congressional candidate Victoria Broderick joins me to discuss the draconian cuts proposed in the February Budget Resolution passed by the House of Representatives, including our own Congressman Scott Desjarlais, a fiscal conservative who believes in a balanced budget. 

The $880 billion would be taken from Medicaid or Tenncare, a state and federal program that provides needed health care services to children, pregnant women, the disabled, nursing home residents, and the elderly. The cuts are necessary to continue tax breaks for the wealthy and reduce the national debt. These  2017 tax breaks increased the debt by $7.8 trillion dollars, making Donald Trump the King of Debt. 

Representative Desjarlais and President Trump ask us to "tighten our belts" and "endure a little pain" for the country. It seems like the Medicaid recipients are already doing both. 

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Rebekah Gorbea from Tennessee 4 All talks about their legislative agenda for 2025. The first is repealing the grocery tax in Tennessee, up for discussion for the second year. A regressive tax in which lower income families are more affected by rising prices than those who benefit from the absence of an income tax. Bills HB02 and SB02 would close corporate loopholes to offset the revenue loss.. The supermajority and the Governor are wary of upsetting the multimillion dollar corporations that pay little to no taxes and receive tax breaks and refunds. Other bills that would benefit working people are also discussed in the program. 

Participation in the legislative process is encouraged and Capitol.TN.gov is a resource. 

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Medicare Advantage has been a preferred option for many healthy seniors and millionaire private health insurance CEOs. It may not be good for seniors if they have a chronic illness, cancer, surgery, or a catastrophic episode, but it will still be a benefit to millionaire private health insurance executives. And it will never be a benefit to Medicare and the hundreds of thousands of seniors who depend on it.  Carol Paris, MD, past President of the Physicians for a National Health Program, sounds the alarm. The trend that government is bad and business is good, is giving corporations the power and the money to take control, leaving many out in favor of profit.

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The Tennessee Governor presented his State of the State address with a budget to support nuclear power, infrastructure, harsh immigration reform, corporate businesses, training programs, and a private school voucher.  But what is missing? Consistently ranking low in health care outcomes, public education, low teacher pay, a rare tax on groceries, high numbers of guns and gun violence, and a high maternal mortality rate, programs for the people are lacking. A year ago, large, high-profit corporations with headquarters outside the state received millions of tax cuts without paying any actual, state taxes. Listen to what a supermajority legislature can do for you and your family. 

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Dr. Sherry Hamby, professor of psychology at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN, counsels us on current-day trauma and how to search for resilience.  Ongoing negativity, name-calling, misinformation, lies, and outrageous verbal abuse from newsmakers without empathy for others can be damaging, whether directed personally or not.
School shootings affect entire communities and when days and weeks of protest for change from elected officials are ignored it is called institutional betrayal.
Resilience may come in the form of introspection or political action. 

A brief bonus interview with Dr. Hamby asks how old is too old to run for political office. 

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Liv Cook organizer of Public School Strong recounts the recent defeat of an expanded voucher program in Tennessee. Public funds for private schools, while public schools starved and teacher pay, remained below the national average, was a nonstarter for many parents and teachers. They said no and made themselves heard. Now millions of dollars from outside special interest groups to support the Governor's cornerstone project have flowed to legislators more likely to vote against the people's wishes. People Power or Project 2025?

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