A Message for our Senators

The House of Representatives passed three important measures this week:

1. A National Defense Authorization Act Bill that would set the stage for Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion in military spending, focused mainly on energizing the defense industry.
   

2. A continuing resolution that would fund the government until early December. The Senate is preparing a bipartisan appropriations bill, and the Senate leadership intends to bring it to the floor before the August break.
   

3. A budget reconciliation framework that wouldn’t require any Democratic votes. It would promptly provide $73 billion for the Iran war, $12 billion for farmers (who have generally voted for the President and been hurt by his policies), and $10 billion in grants to states that move forward with provisions in the SAVE Act. 

The SAVE Act would make it much harder for many people to vote. Most notably, people would need to demonstrate that they are citizens in order to register to vote. Each person who registers would need to show their birth certificate or passport. The SAVE Act would make it much easier for the Republicans to win this fall and in 2028.  It’s not likely to pass.  But the SAVE Act is President Trump’s top priority, and its passage would be another blow to our democracy. 

We should also urge our senators to link aid to farmers to aid for hungry families. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” last year cut federal funding for SNAP by shifting some of the responsibility for funding to state governments. Already, four million people, about half of them children, have lost SNAP benefits, and the cuts will be deeper when the cost share goes into effect on October 1. The Democrats on the Senate Agriculture have all taken a stand on this issue. They won’t vote for aid to farmers unless it is linked to a delay in the SNAP cost share. 

We might also urge our senators to reject more funding for the Iran war. The president has never had clear priorities or strategy for his war against Iran. It has killed thousands of people in the Middle East, and it has made life tougher for Americans — especially low-income and working-class Americans - by raising prices for gas, fertilizer, and food.

Here’s a draft of my note to my senators:

As the Senate responds to the House’s funding bills, I’d urge these priorities:

1. Oppose the provisions of the SAVE Act

2. Link aid to farmers to a delay in the SNAP cost share

3. Insist on congressional oversight of the Iran war before approving more funding for it.

Trump and His Billionaire Donors

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, Elon Musk, Jeffrey Yass, and Marc Andreessen have each backed pro-Trump political efforts in recent election cycles.

The U.S. economy is extremely and increasingly divided between the rich and the rest of the population. Half the economy is owned by 10% of the population. Most Americans say they can afford little beyond the basics. Hunger and poverty are probably increasing, both in the U.S. and around the world.

President Trump and the nation’s richest people, most visibly tech billionaires, are working together — mainly for their own benefit rather than the public good. Trump makes some effort to maintain his support among voters. But while his no-taxes-on-tips and Trump accounts will expire at the end of 2028, most of Trump’s tax cuts for corporations and wealthy people are permanent.   

In general, reducing poverty isn’t on the MAGA agenda. On the contrary, many of his policies will increase poverty — cuts in assistance, civil rights, and voting rights; mass deportation; and high prices for gas, food, and imports. 

Meanwhile, the president openly dishes out favors to deep-pocket donors, notably low taxes and little government oversight. Artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency corporations are among Trump’s biggest donors. Without democratic oversight of AI development, the tech billionaires will develop this technology to maximize their profits — even if that makes large numbers of people unemployable. 

The president is himself a billionaire, and he is using his power to add to his personal wealth. His income in 2025 was $2.2 billion, with a big chunk of it coming from his cryptocurrency business.

Federal Election Commission data show that ten individuals and ten organizations have already poured $1.3 billion into the midterm elections. Based on Washington Post numbers, all but two of these donors gave to Republicans or in support of conservative causes, mainly laissez-faire for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency corporations.

Democratic candidates are, in general, raising more money than Republican candidates. But as of the end of June, the Republican Party committees and aligned super PACs reported $657 million cash in hand — nearly double the $334 million held by their Democratic rivals. In addition, MAGA Inc., Trump’s super PAC, has about $400 million in the bank. There is no limit on how much money donors can contribute to these structures, and a Supreme Court decision in June facilitates the coordination of party organizations with specific candidates.

Fortunately, President Trump is unpopular and increasingly so. Big business is also unpopular and increasingly so. We need to double down on our efforts to restrain and defeat MAGA in the elections of 2026 and 2028. Trump and his allies are doing everything they can to manipulate the elections in their favor. But the elections are our best chance to restrain MAGA and its wealthy supporters.

For people of faith, this is also a time to pray — that God will bring good out of evil, maybe this year or maybe in the longer-term future. As U2’s new song, Street of Dreams, reminds us, prayer is not a substitute for action. It inspires action.

Democracy Needs a Free Press

Last Sunday, my wife and I attended our church's Democracy Circle, where journalist William Roberts shared the presentation below. It traces Donald Trump's relationship with the media—from the New York tabloids of the 1980s to today's battles over journalism, technology companies, and political power.

The presentation—shared below—explores how our information environment has changed, why independent journalism matters, and what happens when business interests, politics, and media become increasingly intertwined. It's a great review of how Donald Trump has manipulated and now weakened the media. 

When the media is manipulated and disinformation spreads, becomes harder for citizens to know what is true, trust one another, and work together for the common good—a topic I write about in Poverty Abolitionists. Reducing poverty and strengthening democracy both depend on citizens having access to trustworthy information, institutions willing to hold power accountable, and people who are committed to seeking the truth—even when it's uncomfortable.

One of the things I appreciate about our Democracy Circle is the opportunity to learn from thoughtful presentations like Bill's. They give us a chance to examine important issues together, ask hard questions, and think about what responsible citizenship requires. They are organized by the Workers Circle, a 125-year-old Jewish social justice organization, and I encourage you to learn more about them at circle.org. You might even consider starting a Democracy Circle in your own community.

I hope you'll take a little time to look through William Roberts' presentation. I also would like to encourage you to check out Bill's Substack: Truth to Power with William Roberts.

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