Sound the Alarm, the 2026 election is being rigged by Republicans, their playbook is already evident, and we must stop them.
See the following for more information
Information from media outlets indicates that Republicans are already undermining the 2026 election and rigging it in their favor. We cannot scoff at their efforts, it’s already happening, and the alarm bells already ringing loudly.
Trump knows that he is under water in the polls and that Democrats are in a position to gain control of the US House and Senate. This would be a disaster for him. As we get closer to the 2026 election and if the polls are favorable to Democrats, he and MAGA people will become desperate to rig the election in their favor. Based on previous actions, we can assume that he and his people will ignore the constitution and the judicial system and may even become violent. Some pundits are asking, will he claim voting irregularities have become an emergency or invoke the Insurrection Act and try to take control of vote tabulations. We have to ask, will Republican legislators rebel against him and protect democracy?
The following bullets provide evidence that Trump has set in place measures which will allow him to take control of the 2026 election in key districts and with the support of Republican legislators, we will be in a constitutional crisis, the outcome of which could be a disaster for our democracy.
The following is a listing of Trumps and Republican actions to undermine the 2026 election in effort to maintain power.
In 2020, Trump tried to intimidate election officials to change the votes in key states. Because there was no consequence to his actions, he will likely try that again in 2026. The internal checks to stop him are now gone, he has fired many of them, and new appointees will likely carry out his will. We who live in Roscommon County are familiar with the attempts of a local state representative to illegally take control of voting machines.
Trump is poised to declare an emergency in voting during the 2026 election. We can expect Trump to provide false information that spreads alarm among MAGA citizens giving him the authority to disregard the votes in key legislative areas. His attempts to place national guard soldiers in key areas may serve as a tool to gather voting machines and ballots and make them void.
Our own US Congressman is an election denier; can we expect him to join conspiracies to rigg the election even when there is no proof of massive voter fraud.
The Trump administration severely undermined the structure and purpose of the, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency who is responsible for helping to protect the cybersecurity and physical security of the nation’s critical infrastructure, including election systems. The agency provides voluntary, low-cost, and no-cost services, training, and assessments for state and local election officials across the country and helps these officials better understand the security threats their systems face.
Trump has installed a cabinet of extremists loyal to him who will carry out his wishes despite his reduced cognitive capacity, authoritarian and extreme thoughts, and failing health. We can assume they will hide his failing health and protect him in effort to maintain their jobs and power to the end of his term.
Trump has pressured the State of Texas to redraw legislative districts that favor the election of Republicans. He has declared that it is right to do this which is blatant gerrymandering of district borders. This anti-democracy and often racist and must be stopped. He is already using the same playbook in other states. Normally, new district lines are drawn on after a US Census, Trump will not respect practice.
Trump is attempting to rewrite election rules to make it harder to vote and to our election systems. He is attempting to impose a “Show Your Papers” requirement on voters.
Trump issued an order trying to make the US Election Assistance Commission change its rules and cancel past approvals of voting machines. He wants them to approve machines again under new rules. This hurts trust in voting machines and gives people who doubt election results a reason to challenge them. Remember, states run elections, not Trump or the federal government.
President Trump issued an executive order demanding sensitive voter data be turned over to the Department of Justice. This means that our sensitive personal information could be used to claim fraud, and pressure state election officials to purge voter registration files. Sensitive personal information could put individuals and groups at risk of being intimidated.
New federal task forces, for example the Department of Justice’s working group on elections and a the Special Unit; Election Accountability are trying to remove election power from states and give it to Trump and the federal government. This should not happen. These groups are focused on voters, election officials, perceived political adversaries, and journalists.
The president and his DOJ appointees are threatening to prosecute the election officials who administered the 2020 election.
State election officials are preparing for bomb threats at polling places, especially in democratic strongholds and swing districts. Trump pardoned the January 6 rioters thereby giving them perceived moral authority to take violent actions again.
The Trump and MAGA legislators have rewarded people who peddle conspiracy theories and lies about voter fraud and who continue to deny the legitimacy of the 2020 election. Witness what members of the Presidents Cabinet say about elections.
The Trump administration has signaled that it is unlikely to enforce laws to protect voting rights.
Conclusion
The US Constitution sets up a system to keep elections fair, but states control the rules. Right now, it's unclear if the courts will protect election laws as they were meant.
U.S. election laws and systems are not meant to be controlled by the President. But Trump is taking control, interfering in state elections, and damaging the agencies and rules that protect election security and voting rights. His actions threaten the fairness and safety of our elections.
We Democrats need to speak up, warn others, and vote for leaders who will protect our democracy and voting rules. Winning by big margins may be necessary to stop challenges to the vote from Trump and MAGA supporters.
Tariffs, Where Does the Money Go?
During conversation and in speeches, Donald Trump often mentions the tariffs he orders have resulted in the collection of massive amounts of money, loosely stated, billions and trillions of dollars. Well, Mr. President and Mr. US Congressman, how much money is being collected and what is it being used for? We citizens would like to know.
It is our understanding money collected from U.S. tariffs is paid by U.S. importers to the U.S. Treasury Department and that it is receipted to the general fund. We assume that it can be used to reduce the national debt, to support healthcare for citizens, to support clean energy development and for many other worthwhile uses.
According to the US Constitution, the duty of the US Congress is to approve the budget and designate/approve the use of tariff, tax and other monies that are collected from citizens. Mr. Congressman, are you doing your job or are you letting Trump make all the decisions in the application of the national budget? If your responsibilities are in doubt, read Article I of the US Constitution.
We citizens have noticed importers are passing the higher costs of tariffs on to their customers (us), who indirectly pay the tariff through higher prices. Because we are indirectly paying the cost of the tariffs, we would like to know where the money is going and who currently approves its use. We have noticed that Trump is running a huge extortion scheme in the collection of tariffs, citizens have increasing number of questions about this. Without answers Mr. Congressman, we would become even more suspicious that we already are.
TRUMP IS NOT PROLIFE OR PRO FAMILY
By late 2024, about 66% of Americans believed Donald Trump wants abortion illegal in most cases. Many see him as strongly “pro-life.” He took credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, but his opinions on abortion have changed a lot and are not simple.
Let’s compare Trump’s views on reproductive rights and immigration. When it comes to immigration, Trump and ICE are known for breaking up families. Headlines show they separate mothers and children, hurting family life. Their actions are harsh and don’t match the values of most people. Here are two examples:
37 people arrested and American kids separated from parents after ICE raid at Chicago apartments,
By Rebekah Riess, Bill Kirkos,
Oct 3, 2025
Children finished their first day of school with no parents to go home to tonight. Babies and toddlers remained at daycare with no guardian to pick them up. A child vainly searched for a workplace parking lot for missing parents,
By Jake Johnson
Aug 08, 2019
Are prolife advocates being played as “suckers” by this con man and felon. Many prolife advocates are beginning to say he is not prolife or pro family, and they cite the actions of masked ICE agents hauling mothers away from children.
This is a country of immigrants, we have empathy for immigrants, we value family life and hard-working families, and we cringe when we see the workings of ICE agents and the philosophy of Donald Trump played out on the streets of our cities.
Wake up voters, Trump is a philosophical hypocrite in regards to families and family life.
Update, the Pope has stated the actions of ICE are immoral. Catholics are protesting in Chicago, ICE is preventing priests from visiting with detainees and administering to their religious needs and beliefs.
STOP BEING A CLOSET DEMOCRAT
Previous data from a northern Michigan county indicates that about 52% of voters are Democrats and about 48% are Republicans. Yet, election tallies routinely favor Republicans by a vote of about 52 to 48 percent. Republicans in our counties are accustomed to winning in each election because they turn out to vote. WE NEED DEMOCRATS TO VOTE.
WE CANNOT AFFORD CLOSET DEMOCRATS IF WE ARE GOING TO STOP TRUMPS ATTACK ON THE NORMS OF GOVERNMENT AND VOTING. WE NEED TO CHANGE THE ABOVE STORY IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN.
We also need Democrats to become better informed about the outrageous actions of our current government and to speak out against Trump and Republicans. Admittedly, it’s hard to challenge Republican actions among friends and family but it’s not an option anymore. Trump is trying to control all branches of government and other agencies as a dictator; we cannot let that happen.
IS TRUMP NARRCISSTIC OR EGO CENTRIC
It’s common to hear that Trump has a narcissistic personality disorder or even a narcissistic socio pathic personality. While thinking about this disorder, this contributor looked up the definition of a less used but possibly a more familiar term, ego centric.
Upon further review, both terms resemble one another in definition; Trump is both ego centric and narcissistic. The point is, neither term is an acceptable condition for the President of the United States.
Here is the internet definition of the term ego centric:
Egocentric traits include lack of empathy, self-centeredness, excessive need for validation, difficulty accepting criticism, and a tendency to dominate conversations by prioritizing one's own experiences and needs. These individuals struggle to see things from others' perspectives, often believe they are superior, and may blame others for failures while attributing successes to themselves. Egocentricity can also manifest as taking advantage of others for personal gain, a belief in their own entitlement, and a preoccupation with being the center of attention.
Common Egocentric Traits
Lack of Empathy: Difficulty understanding or acknowledging others' feelings and perspectives.
Self-Centeredness: An excessive focus on one's own thoughts, feelings, interests, and needs.
Need for Validation: An overwhelming desire for external approval and recognition.
Difficulty with Criticism: An inability to accept feedback or admit when they are wrong.
One-Sided Conversations: Monopolizing discussions, waiting for a turn to speak about themselves rather than listening to others.
Attribution Bias: Attributing successes to their own abilities while blaming others for failures.
Feeling of Superiority: A belief that they are more valuable or important than others.
Sense of Entitlement: Expecting special treatment and that others should meet their needs.
Difficulty Compromising: A desire for things to be done their way, making it hard to find common ground.
Manipulation: Using others to achieve their own goals or to gain attention.
Message to Trump supporters: wake up, Trumps is not looking out for the good of our country, he is looking out for his legacy and to make money for himself.
Residency of our US Congressman
The U.S. Constitution sets basic age and residency rules for House members. The founders intended the "House" to represent people from all backgrounds. The Constitution states: a Representative must be at least 25 years old, a citizen for seven years, and live in the state they represent.
Our congressman's residency has been questioned. Since 2020, he claims to live at N3465 Sylvan Isle Drive, Watersmeet, Michigan. Source, https://www.miningjournal.net/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2020/11/rep-address-questioned/
Its interesting, Google Maps do not reach this address. See below.
Reports indicate this road isn't maintained from Labor Day to May, and during this time, his mail is sent to 13729 Oakley Lane, Saint Francisville, Louisiana. Congressman, since you must also stay in Washington, D.C. during sessions, and you have an address in Louisiana, we want to know how much time you spend in Michigan each year, and how you’re connecting with the citizens you represent.
Update, it has been reported the congressman’s wife has an official address in Louisiana.
Our US Congressman’s voting record for health care
HR 3799 2023-2024 Choice Arrangement Act: The congressman voted wrong on this Act, which weakens rules for association health plans. This allows employers to create plans that do not offer essential health benefits.
HR 2811 2023-2024 Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023: The congressman made the wrong choice by supporting this bill that cuts domestic spending by $144 billion, affecting important programs by up to 22%. These cuts threaten Medicaid for 10 million low-income Americans, take away food assistance for countless families, and stop debt relief for 40 million student borrowers. The plan also risks funding for veterans' healthcare, clean energy projects, COVID-19 vaccines, and public transit.
HR 8296 2022, Women’s Health Protection Act: The congressman voted wrong on this bill that would stop governments from placing restrictions on abortion services. It would ensure providers can prescribe necessary medications, offer telemedicine services, and provide immediate care when delays could harm patients’ health.
Our conclusion, our US Congressman is voting consistently with the Republican Party, disregarding the wishes and needs of the citizens he represents. What are your thoughts?
Source, https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3799
Source, https://justfacts.votesmart.org/bill/39175/106638/170172/establishing-the-congressional-budget-for-the-united-states-government-for-fiscal-year-2025-and-setting-forth-the-appropriate-budgetary-levels-for-fiscal-years-2026-through-2034#106638
Our US Congressman, AWOL in our district
The last town hall meeting with our US Congressman was on April 19 and 20, 2017, during his first term in office. Local media described the crowds as “tough.” Attendees couldn’t ask their own questions; they were chosen by someone else. Our Congressman hasn't held an open town hall meeting in the 1st Congressional District since then.
Is this the kind of Congressman we want?
DONALD TRUMP THINKS HE OWNS THE WHITE HOUSE
Citizens are surprised to see an excavator tearing down the East Wing of the White House, and that Donald Trump is building a ballroom and hallway of fame for Presidents. WOW. We have not heard that he asked for permission from any agency or person or that he asked for advice from citizens. King Donald believes he owns the White House, and he can decorate it like his Mara Logo Golf Club. What happened to the idea that he is an occupant in the building for his term of office and that he is a caretaker of the history and the structure of the building. At first, he said his ballroom would cost $200 million, he later revised it to $350 million, and we suspect it will be more. We need to evict him.
THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES—WHY WE DO NOT LIKE TRUMP
The following paragraphs are one person’s view of the underlying issues supporting the no kings’ protests and our dislike of Donald Trump. It’s comparatively easy to state a sentence or two why we condemn Trump. It’s harder to dive deep and state how our fundamental beliefs about government are being challenged by King Donald, the supreme court and Republican legislators. The following is one person’s attempt to dive deeper. Your reactions and comments will be valued.
Issue #1. Article II of the US Constitution states there should be three equal branches of government, one to legislate, one to execute legislation, and one to adjudicate. The document was well thought out by the authors and designed to create checks and balances between the three branches. But the farmers did not provide detail on how this should work, nor did they make it ridged in application. For almost 250 years, US Presidents respected this provision of the Constitution and the traditions of previous presidents. We now have a president who does not respect three equal branches and wants control over everything. It’s a perfect storm; he was able to appoint lackeys that follow his direction while disregarding the intent of the constitution, a republican legislature is willing to give up their responsibilities as defined in Article II, and a right leaning supreme court who has given him too much power. Regardless of our knowledge of the constitution, we sense that something is wrong, and it emanates from Donald Trump. He will not respect the tradition of the Presidency and three equal branches of government. It will be more likely for a river to run backward than for him to change. His mental incapacities and authoritarian personality are at the root of this issue.
Issue #2 Past presidents understood their role in government was to implement the laws of the land and to serve people. We have a president who does not understand the concept of servant leadership, nor can we expect he ever will. He made statements during the campaign to make his supporters believe he would work to make our lives better, they now know differently. Governing is all about him, not us, he expects that citizens should serve his wishes and implement his beliefs. Again, we know something is wrong, its Donald Trump. It is very evident that he is a president of hate, retribution, bigotry, racism and disregard for the rule of law and the concept of servant leadership escapes him.
Issue #3 Leaders of organizations and businesses know they do not accomplish the work of an organization by themselves. They understand it takes leadership skills to convince others to follow their lead for the betterment of the organization and its people. Trump does not understand this. We see his lack of leadership daily when he belittles people to enforce his rule, when he terminates employees of the government for no cause, when he wants to deprive citizens of good health care, when he deports people without due process, when he pardons criminals and when his agenda is focused on improving his tarnished image. This may work in the Trump organization but not in this country. Once again, we know something is wrong, its Trumps lack of leadership.
Issue #4 Leaders have a vision of what their organization can become, and they are able to convince others to follow that vision. They look ahead, beyond themselves, and are intrinsically motivated to move the organization forward for the betterment of people and customers. For example, somebody had a vision for the development of a new kind of vaccine that became very effective in reducing death due to Co-vid19. It became a reality in the most recent pandemic. We sense something is wrong, and it’s a lack of vision by Donald Trump. We observe that Trump and his lackeys are destroying this country’s future in favor of blowing up drug trafficking boats, building a ballroom, deporting nice people in an unlawful manner, of lining Trumps family with dollars, and for removing laws and agencies that protect us and our lands.
Issue #5 In spite of what he claims, Trump is not a person of integrity, that is, he does not do what he says he will do when he says he will. How often have we heard him state a deadline for the war in the middle east or a deadline for a tariff and change the date. We are losing market shares because Trump is whimsical in creating tariffs and is not predictable in managing deadlines. Consequently, foreign businesses have learned they can’t count on him. Witness the damage done to the soybean markets for our American farmers. Because of Trumps actions American farmers have lost 52 percent of their soybean market to China and it will not come back. Again, we sense something is fundamentally wrong, its Trump.
Issue #6 Trump cannot respond to a question about and opponent without demeaning or threatening them. He sees others as opposition, not as a person of well-meaning with different views. Compromise is not part of his personality, bullying and retribution are. His narcissistic personality requires that comment on everything. Trump conveys hatred, jealousy and is ruthless. He does not have the powers of reflection and the ability to compromise. Our political problems emanate from Trump. We are also concerned about his cognitive decline.
Our political, financial, medical, and other problems come from a cognitively compromised President who lives in an alternate world, who lacks the ability to do what he says he will do, who does not respect the constitution, who does not see himself as a servant of people, who does not understand the importance of compromise in goverment, who bows down to other autocratic leaders who play on his personal weaknesses, who cannot be trusted because he constantly lies, to does not respect the rule of law, who has limited vision for our country beyond that of a ballroom, who does not understand leadership, and on and on.
Its sad to comment that the next Democratic president will have to adopt some of Trumps ruthless practices to get rid of the plague of Trump supporters now running our government.
Donald Trump campaigned that he would reduce food prices. How is that working for you?
USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) June 2025 Forecast
The USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) June 2025 forecasts indicate that overall food prices are expected to rise at the historical average rate, with a 2.9% increase predicted. Food-at-home prices are forecast to increase by 2.2%, while food-away-from-home prices are expected to rise by 3.9%.
Key Forecasts and Outlooks:
The ERS predicts a 2.9% increase in overall food prices, with a prediction interval of 2.0 to 3.9 percent, according to the Economic Research Service (.gov).
Prices for food purchased to eat at home are expected to rise by 2.2%, with a range of 0.8 to 3.7 percent.
Prices for food purchased at restaurants and other food-away-from-home locations are predicted to increase by 3.9%, with a range of 3.3 to 4.5 percent.
Source, United States Department of Agriculture.
UPDATE ON THE PRICE OF FOOD FOR AUGUST 2025
Donald Trump promised to bring down the price of food. He has not. He is spending his time distracting the press from the Epstein scandal and not keeping his promise to lower food prices.
The following are predictions from the United States Department of Agriculture.
USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) August 2025 Forecast
In 2025, prices for all food are predicted to increase 2.9 percent, with a prediction interval of 2.3 to 3.4 percent. Food-at-home prices are predicted to increase 2.2 percent, with a prediction interval of 1.4 to 3.0 percent. Food-away-from-home prices are predicted to increase 3.9 percent, with a predicted interval of 3.5 to 4.2 percent.
Trump supporters, Donald has not attempted to bring down the price of food, and we have not yet felt the impact of his tariffs.
REMINDER, OUR US CONGRESSMAN IS AN ELECTION DENIER
Our US Congressman joined 146 other Republicans in the US House to refuse to certify the election of President Biden.
On Dec. 10, 2020, our US Congressman signed an amicus brief in a Texas lawsuit urging the US Supreme Court to overturn the results of the election in four states, including Michigan.
Both of these actions rejected the ability of our fellow Michiganders to be honest election judges. Our US Congressman was willing to discard our votes to support Donald Trump. How distasteful.
The Farmers who voted for Trump are angry.
Rural voters including farmers supported Donald Trump in Cornbelt states of the Midwest in 2024. They must be sick about this; they were mislead by the a liar and con man. Trumps tariffs have made farmers hopes for a good year in the 2025 harvest turn into desperation and lost hopes. They do not know whether to sell their crop thinking the price may even go even lower or store their crops hoping for better times. To make it worse, Trump has pledged 20 billion (or is it 40 billion) to the country of Argentina who is now subsidizing their soybeans to undercut US farmers in Chinease markets. Please see the graph below, China has stopped buying US soybeans—this market will never come back.
To put this in perspective, in the 2023-24 marketing year (ending in spring 2024), China purchased about 52% of all U.S. soybean exports, (value about 13.4 billion) a figure that dropped to approximately 22% in the 2023/24 crop year, and now to zero this past summer and fall. Repeat, its now zero.
To add perspective, the price of soybeans in recent history has been around 15 dollars per bushel, now just above 10 dollars per bushel. How would our companies like a 33 percent reduction in the retail sales of their products. Farmers are facing financial disaster and their problems show up in small town business, including machinery dealers and more. When the price of beans is down, farmers don't buy pickup trucks. John Deere and Case International are losing millions and millions of dollars in sales. Farm crops are not moving to markets and truckers feel the pinch. Forign inverstors will find good deals in the falling price of US farmland. Donald Trump---democrats give you a grade of F in regards to your knowledge of farming and Ag. Economics.
Trumps solution to the problem is the same as the first term, a farmer bailout, perhaps 10 billion dollars or more. Many citizens are against bailouts, and farmers don't want this either. Trumps people will make a bailout a minimal effort.
Suggestion to farmers who voted for Trump, take down the Trump sign and vote democrat. Get the republican legislators out of office in 2026 and pull back the throttle lever on con man Trump.
MILLIONS OF CITIZENS WILL SEE INSURANCE PREMIUMS INCREASE
The following is an estimate of what will happen to the insurance premiums for people who have enrolled in health insurance policies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) after insurance subsidies expire.
People earning less than $20,00 per year will see an increase in their premiums from $0 to $66.00.
People earning up to $35,000 per year will see an increase in their premiums of about $218.00
·People 60 years old and older who earn up to and more than $65,000 per year will probably have an increase from $980 to $1380 per premium.
Republican legislators say they are ready to talk to Democrats about health insurance costs but only after democrats vote to open the government. Democrats do not trust Republicans and say they need to talk about health care insurance before they vote to open government. Democrats do not trust Republicans whose agenda has been to eliminate the Affordable Care Act for millions of citizens.
Consider phoning our congressman’s office and tell his staff that you are angry, and that you want action to make health insurance affordable. Tell them it’s time for Republicans to get back to work in Washington DC and make health insurance affordable. Be prepared for the congressman’s staff to deflect your anger and questions and say that Democrats are the cause of the problem because they will not vote to accept all the provisions of the Republicans and open government. We know BS when we hear it.
THE CAMPAIGN MESSAGE FOR 2026
IThe message “Save our Democracy” or “Trump’s ruining our Democracy” won’t work well in 2026 or future elections. Democrats need clear, sharp messages with facts that criticize Republicans. This can attract independents and some Republicans who feel let down by Trump.
Remember to choose a few key issues, research them, and use them when talking to voters and on the campaign trail.
Trump is hiding Epstein’s files. We want to know his ties to Epstein.
He promised to lower food prices but hasn’t.
We need independent groups to draw congressional districts. Trump’s gerrymandering in Texas is unfair politics.
Taxpayers are upset about money spent on Trump’s golf trips.
People want vaccines to protect us, not Trump’s anti-science views.
Trump and Republicans are making voting harder by cutting the Voting Rights Act and removing absentee ballots.
Trump’s tariffs raise the cost of goods.
Republicans aren’t fiscally responsible—they’ve raised the national debt more than ever.
Trump and his appointees are making health insurance much more expensive.
ICE’s actions under Trump are cruel and illegal.
Michigan voters wonder if our Congressman really lives here.
We want to know more about Trump’s health since he controls our nuclear codes.
Republicans say many non-citizens are voting illegally.
There is an idea loose around the Republican land that a large number of non-citizens vote in federal elections. The story is continually reinforced by President Trump and his fellow Republicans, they offer no proof, but they are relentless in telling the same alarming story. Republicans cannot admit that Joe Biden won.
Democrats ask this question of Republicans, what have you personally seen to document that a non-citizen has illegally voted? Please describe a person or an incident. Democrats are critical thinkers, we want proof of the allegations, not more glittering generalities and unadulterated you know what.
There is no evidence to support claims that large numbers of noncitizens have voted in past elections or are registering to vote. In fact, the name of everyone who registers to vote in an election is a public record, it’s easy to check names. We have honest civic minded election judges, sometimes our neighbors, who guard the integrity of our elections.
Democrats know this nonsense about mass voting discrepancies is another Republican storyline providing them a reason to enact voter suppression laws and give them an advantage at the polls. Stop the nonsense please.
US Congressman’s statement on Medicaid reduction
The following is an article in italics posted by a reporter from the Upper Peninsula.
Published: Feb. 27, 2025 at 5:47 PM EST
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC & AP) - Republican Rep. Jack Bergman is answering questions about federal worker layoffs and the next budget.
In an interview with TV6 on Thursday, he emphasized that Republicans are not going to cut Medicaid benefits.
” I’ll be very direct, to look your viewers in the eye and say, unfortunately, the other party, that would be the Democrats, have chosen to try to scare constituents that your benefits - Medicaid - are going to be cut,” said Bergman of Michigan’s 1st Congressional District. “That is not true. President Trump has said basically as recently as today that it’s been his long-term stance that we must cut waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid.”
The reality of our US Congressman’s vote.
Our US Congressman voted with Republicans for the House Budget Bill (The Big Beautiful Bill) . This bill would cut US Medicaid funding by about $863 billion over ten years. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says up to 700,000 Michiganders, or 30% of state Medicaid users, could lose coverage. About 200,000 people might lose their health insurance directly, and even more could be affected if healthcare providers close because of these cuts.
Ask our Congressman how many citizens in his district will lose Medicaid Benefits and what will he do when hospitals cut services due to lack of funding.
Here we go again, voter suppression laws
Republican lawmakers, including our US Congressman, often try to pass laws that make it harder for people to vote, which helps them win elections.
Here are some facts about the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE ACT) also called HR 22 that you should know about.
The US House has voted to pass the SAVE Act, and it was received by the US Senate on April 10, 2025. While it has not been acted on by the Senate, Democrats are concerned.
The core requirement of the Act is that individuals must be present, IN-PERSON, to register to vote with some form of documentation of citizenship possibly including a passport, official birth certificate, Real ID compliant driver’s license, military ID or others specified by each state.
If enacted, every eligible voter could be burdened by the SAVE Act when they update or change their voter registration information because of a change in their life. For example, women who change their names or when we move our residence.
To register to vote in Michigan, you must be: A U.S. citizen (we are required to sign a statement under the threat of perjury), at least 16 years old to pre-register and at least 17.5 years old to register (must be 18 years old by Election Day to vote), a Michigan resident for at least 30 days by Election Day and not currently serving a sentence in jail or prison. Michigan laws state that only a U.S. citizens can legally vote in Michigan.
This bill, aimed at "securing our elections," actually makes it harder for eligible Americans to register and vote. State election officials already have systems to check voter eligibility and keep voter rolls accurate. The bill's requirement to prove citizenship for voter registration is not needed. It only adds another hurdle to voting since many eligible voters struggle to obtain the necessary documents.
You guessed it, our US Congressman voted on the wrong side for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act which if passed by the senate and signed by President Trump will make it more time consuming and sometimes more expensive to register to vote.
US Congressman will not attend townhall meetings
Our US Congressman has refused to attend town hall meetings stating they are a political stunt funded by a wealthy financier, George Soros. George and is foundations, the Open Society have been critical of the Republican agenda. Another Congressman has accused George of paying protesters.
The Roscommon Democratic Party has contacted the Open Society and asked for a statement in response to the Congressman. In addition, it has asked for a personal email address of Mr. Soros so we can ask him for a response to the Congressman’s statement. Understandably , it is difficult to obtain thise personal email address. Currently, the best statement we can obtain comes from media outlets. The following is a headline by reporter Max Greenwood.
George Soros denies funding town hall protests
(M. Greenwood, February 24, 2025, https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/320964-george-soros-denies-funding-town-hall-protests-report/)
US Congressman, do you have a response?
Questions for our US Congressman
The Republicans have passed their Big Ugly Bill oblivious to the wishes and needs of the citizens they represent. We now ask:
What will our congressman say to us about the consequences of the many hidden components of the bill.? For example, what is the limit of deductions for tips and when will the law on tips sunset? .
What will be the impact on our rural hospitals?
How many citizens in our Congressional District lose health care benefits?
There are so many questions, its not practical to list them on this section.
We do know that the blame game will start, that Republicans will blame Joe Biden and others for the problems that this bill needs to correct, we will get more lies and misinformation from our Congressman, Republicans will be evasive and try to distract us with other issues, and that the Republican spin doctors will immediately feed us sound bites of slick marketing information to minimize the impact of the bill. Be ready for this and sharpen your critical thinking skills in response.
What’s buried in the big beautiful (ugly) budget
The press informs us that if the House budget is passed by the Senate, it will result in significant cuts to Medicaid funding, increase the national debt by trillions of dollars, and provide tax cuts that overwhelmingly favor the wealthy. Many citizens remain less aware that Devious/Sneaky Don and his followers have hidden within this massive document of over 1,000 pages various provisions designed to strengthen the president’s power, all at the expense of the independence of the Judicial system. After witnessing Trump’s recent verbal attacks on judges, we should not be at all surprised by this underhanded move to undermine the judiciary in this way.
Buried in the budget legislation is a section that will restrict the authority of the federal courts to hold government officials in Contempt of the Court if they violate judicial orders.
When a governmental official violates a court order, the federal judge who issued the ruling has a few different options to force them to comply, including holding them in contempt and issuing sanctions, fines, or even jail time until the order is followed. By restricting this authority, the House bill threatens the power of the Judicial branch, and the balance of power provided in the constitution.
The authors of the constitution believed that elected officials would respect the intent of the constitution and the judgments of the courts. They could not envision a president governing with little respect for the constitution who is supported by a US Congressman who is a blind follower. .
This provision cannot stand; it’s an attack on the rule of law and the separation of powers that underlies our democracy. No government official, including the president, should be able to simply ignore court rulings that find their actions illegal or unconstitutional.
Ask our US Congressman why he voted for this budget and this provision.
THE LEADERSHIP STYLE OF AUTHORITARIANS AND DICTATORS
Authoritarian leaders prioritize strong, centralized control, expecting unquestioning loyalty and action that supports their beliefs and ego. They reward loyalty and manipulate communications to maintain power.
Authoritarian and dictator leaders:
Make decisions on their own, often to protect their ego or to satisfy past personal grievances, and sometimes with input from loyal followers
Attempt to punish those who do not comply with or challenge their statements, beliefs, wishes and actions
Reward loyal supporters and publicly praise those to enact their orders and wishes
Actively try to silence opposition with threats and bullying to limit freedom of expression
Use various methods, including propaganda, intimidation, and misinformation, to control the message of media outlets, engage their loyal followers, and limit criticism
Take action that undermines independent institutions that have in the past distributed power among government
Deny accusations that challenge their decision-making authority
Create scapegoats of general populations of people to create division among groups, create mistrust and distract from their own actions
Disregard court orders, attack judges, and abuse executive power
Blame others for their problems detracting from their own shortcomings
Attempt to label others with negative terms or descriptions
Live in a self-centered world, critical of others who have not had the advantages they have had.
Your thoughts please. Edits are invited and welcome.