06.12.25

Democrats Now Oppose Popular Policies They Used to Support

Senate Democrats Are Pledging to Fight Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill “Every Possible Way,” Even Though They Previously Said They Supported Several of Its Provisions

“Senate Democrats will fight this bill in committee, on the floor, and in the court of public opinion, every step, every day, and every possible way.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)

“Republicans talk about this tax break like it’s all about the corner stores and auto mechanics people think of when they hear the phrase ‘small business,’ but the truth is, it’s just another Trojan horse…” – Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)

“It’s disgraceful—we should all be a HELL NO on this bill!” – Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)

REPUBLICANS’ RECONCILIATION BILL PREVENTS A $2.6 TRILLION TAX INCREASE ON THOSE MAKING UNDER $400,000 –  A TAX HIKE DEMOCRATS PROMISED TO PREVENT DURING LAST YEAR’S CAMPAIGN

  • Taxes on households earning less than $400,000 will increase by $2.6 trillion if the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is allowed to expire at the end of the year. (U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: FY 2025 Budget Resolution will Deliver Permanent Tax Relief, Spur Economic Growth and Restore Fiscal Order – accessed 6/11/25)
  • A family of four making $80,000 would see a $1,700 tax increase if the TCJA expires. (Tax Foundation: Tax Calculator: How the TCJA’s Expiration Will Affect You – 3/12/24)
  • By opposing Republicans’ reconciliation bill that makes the TCJA permanent, Democrats are set to break their past promises:
    • “The resolution will make sure that there are no tax increases for families under $400,000 and no tax increases for small businesses. This is about rebuilding the middle class and creating jobs. And we will change our tax policy far different than what our Republican friends did.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)
    • “We cannot, and I will not, raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 a year.” – Former Vice President Kamala Harris
    • “Senate Democrats made it very, very clear that we were strongly against taxing those in our country with incomes under $400,000.” – Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)

DEMOCRATS CLAIMED THEY WANTED TO FIX THE BORDER THAT THEY BROKE, BUT WILL NOW VOTE AGAINST BORDER SECURITY FUNDING

“Most people agree the status quo cannot continue. Our southern border is in desperate need of more resources.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)

  • Under the Biden administration, illegal border crossings hit record levels, totaling 10.5 million migrant encounters along the southwest border, including known gotaways. In just a few months, “President Trump has already accomplished one of his top priorities—controlling the U.S. border with Mexico.” (U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Southwest Land Border Encounters – accessed 6/11/25; Fox News’ Bill Melugin: post on X – 8/20/24; The Washington Post: Trump vs. Biden on immigration: 12 charts comparing U.S. border security – 7/28/24; The Wall Street Journal: Editorial: Trump’s Border Success—and Opportunity – 4/16/25)
  • After the border spiraled out of control under the Biden administration, Democrats said they would support addressing the crisis at the border:
    • “We destroyed ourselves on the immigration issue in ways that were entirely predictable and entirely manageable. We utterly mismanaged that issue, including our Democratic caucus here. That’s political malpractice. That’s not someone else’s fault.” – Anonymous Senate Democrat to The Hill
    • “We cannot ignore the reality of the numbers and where they’re coming from… We didn’t design the border policies for the volume of this nature. And we have to find a way, as painful as it may be, to bring some order.” – Senate Democrat Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)
  • But now that Republicans are cleaning up the Biden border crisis, Democrats are attempting to derail efforts to fund border security:
    • According to the Department of Homeland Security, “While DHS has created the most secure border in American history, we cannot maintain it without support from Congress. The Big Beautiful Bill, endorsed by President Trump and Secretary Noem, will provide funding that our components need to fully and permanently secure the border.” (U.S. Department of Homeland Security: The Big Beautiful Bill Will Keep our Border Secure – 5/30/25)
    • Republicans’ reconciliation bill “includes about $175 billion in new spending to enforce Mr. Trump’s ambitious anti-immigration agenda, including for bulking up the barriers at the nation’s southern border and for additional Border Patrol agents and facilities.” (The New York Times: Here’s What’s in the Big Domestic Policy Bill to Deliver Trump’s Agenda – 5/22/25)

DEMOCRATS USED TO SUPPORT ROOTING OUT WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE IN MEDICAID AND GETTING PEOPLE BACK TO WORK

“And the real nub of this is how do we wring that waste out, that fraud, abuse, duplication, without interfering with the good care that we want every person on Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance to get.” – Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) 2/25/10

  • “Even though Democrats have cried foul over Republicans’ reforms, former Democrat presidents and Democrat congressional leaders have repeatedly called to remove waste, fraud, and abuse from the program.” (Breitbart: After Decades of Tough Talk on Medicaid Waste, Fraud, and Abuse, Democrats Call GOP Reforms ‘Shameful’ – 5/15/25)
  • “President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. The legislation substantially reconstructed the nation’s welfare system by giving state governments more autonomy over welfare services while also reducing the federal government’s role.” (Politico: Clinton signs ‘Welfare to Work’ bill, Aug. 22, 1996 – 8/22/18)
    • “Clinton said that it ‘gives us a chance we haven’t had before to break the cycle of dependency that has existed for millions and millions of our fellow citizens, exiling them from the world of work. It gives structure, meaning and dignity to most of our lives.’” (Politico: Clinton signs ‘Welfare to Work’ bill, Aug. 22, 1996 – 8/22/18)
  • “We went after medical fraud in Medicare and Medicaid very aggressively — more aggressively than ever before, and have saved tens of billions of dollars. Fifty billion dollars of waste taken out of the system.” – President Barack Obama 10/3/12
  • “[O]ne of the things that I am absolutely convinced of is that we have to work as a centerpiece of any social policy… Not only because -- not only because ultimately people who work are going to get more income, but the intrinsic dignity of work, the sense of purpose…” – President Barack Obama 8/16/08