Thread by @benwikler

Let's talk about where things stand in the health care fight—which is now a bunch of fights. Repeal is on hold. But danger's not passed. 1/x

Biggest thing: first the GOP came for health care to pay for tax cut for the rich. Now it's tax cuts for rich, paid for by health care cuts.

The House votes Thu on a 2018 budget resolution. Hidden inside: $473 billion in Medicare cuts and $1 TRILLION in Medicaid cuts.

The GOP isn't admitting this. But it's the inevitable logic of their budget plan to cut $5 trillion from domestic programs over a decade.

If you spread those cuts proportionately across the domestic budget, that's what you get. Read the analysis here: politico.com/f/?id=0000015e…

If the GOP has other specific cuts in mind, they should say so. But health care is where the money is. Can't cut $5T & protect health care.

This week is the House budget vote. Next week is Senate recess. Senate budget vote the following week. Then reconciliation season begins.

Once the GOP passes a budget resolution, the cuts don't become law. It's more like a New Year's resolution: a statement of intent. Except...

The budget resolution contains "reconciliation instructions," a set of rules that allow an un-filibuster-able tax cut bill. 50 Rs+Pence=win

Reconciliation's how the GOP tried to pass ACA repeal. Now it's how they're going for tax cuts 4 rich. We have to fight it every bit as hard

As night follows day, cuts to health care follow massive tax cuts for the rich. They create a fiscal crisis & insist cuts are only fix.

Make no mistake: these tax cuts are for the rich. The ultra-rich. In time, top 1% gets 80%. Half of that to top *0.1%.* Pure class warfare.

Many middle-class & poor families actually pay *more* taxes, from what we can tell so far—and certainly lose the most from health care cuts.

Beating back these tax cuts aren't only crucial to stopping an explosion in inequality and protecting care. Also *politically* vital.

Tax cuts for the rich are the central promise the GOP makes to its donor class. If we stop those cuts, their coalition collapses.

If you think Trump's power shouldn't be unchecked, if his admin should get oversight, if his agenda shouldn't become law—focus now on taxes.

There are other fronts on health care that I'll get to in a minute, but first, some ways to plug in to tax fight—again, the biggest one:

Call your Reps before they vote Thu. (Then your Sens.) Urge them to vote NO on budget resolution w/cruel cuts & tax giveaways. 202-224-3121

Plug in to #NotOnePenny coalition—as in, not one penny in tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires, big corporations. NotOnePenny.org

Fight Trump's tax scam by reading analysis & using the great tools at @IndivisibleTeam's well-named hub site, trumptaxscam.org

Remember TrumpcareToolkit? Now @CAPAction has a parallel site: trumptaxtoolkit.org

For day to day updates and concrete timely actions to fight back, make sure you're on @MoveOn email & SMS list: moveon.org/signup

...and if your organization wants to plug in, join the giant, mighty Americans for Tax Fairness coalition via stoptrumptaxcuts.org

Okay: that's tax fight 101. Anything else you need to know to fight to defend health car? Sadly, yes. A lot. Hope your phone's charged.

1. Tax fight
2. CHIP
3. Bipartisan ACA fix
4. HHS Secretary
5. Enrollment sabotage
6. Elections(!)
7. Long-term: care for all—or repeal

2. CHIP

Children's Health Insurance Program. Nine million kids. Outrageously, GOP let $ expire this Sat in their rush to repeal the ACA.

States now running low on funds. In some cases, limiting new enrollment. Fortunately, CHIP reauth moving fwd now. modernhealthcare.com/article/201710…

Senate cmte voted CHIP fwd today. House hit snag b/c of partisan GOP tweaks. If those don't get ironed out, we'll need to fight. Keep watch.

3. Bipartisan talks

In a sane time, it'd be front page news that Trump sabotage around insurance payments is spiking up insurance premiums.

These are not normal times. Insurers are hugely raising their rates, saying explicitly that it's because of uncertainty re Trump. Crickets.

Congress could end this uncertainty and bring down rates. Easy fix. Bipartisan support. But talks have stalled. talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/senate-obam…

After years of saying they want to bring down premiums, GOP senators aren't doing the obvious, simple thing that would achieve that goal

Tax fight is a more urgent topic to call the Senate about. But if you make another call, ask Rs to come back to the table & negotiate a fix.

(Pausing thread: I'm in audience at CNN town hall w Nancy Pelosi, about to go live on TV. 3rd row, behind cowboy hat. Hi! More later.)

This thread picks up here:

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