May 25, 2025
NATIONAL NUTCASERY
big bs bill
The US budget is halfway through the legislative process, with US House Republicans just squeaking it through their chamber 215-214 earlier this week. Indiana's Republican Reps Yakym, Stutzman, Baird, Spartz, Shreve, Messmer, and Houchin all supported the budget bill. Democrat Reps Mrvan and Carson opposed. The budget now moves to the US Senate for consideration.
roughly $3.8 trillion in tax cuts — the bulk of which would come by extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts.
an increase in the child tax credit to $2,500 until 2028. After that, it would drop to $2,000 and grow with inflation.
a provision for no taxes on overtime earned between 2026 and 2028
an extra $4,000 deduction for people over the age of 65,
Beginning at the end of 2026, childless adults without disabilities would be required to work 80 hours per month to qualify for Medicaid benefits. The bill also adds additional income and residency verifications for enrolled individuals.
mandated work requirements for able-bodied SNAP enrollees who don't have dependents. Adults without dependents already face strict time limits for receiving benefits (only able to receive SNAP benefits for three months over the course of a three-year period) unless they are working at least 20 hours a week or taking part in a comparable workforce program or training.
an increase to the nation's debt limit by $4 trillion. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has told Congress that without action, the U.S. will run out of money to pay its bills as soon as August, which means the clock is ticking.
termination of the $7,500 credit for buying an electric car and credits for producing or investing in renewable energy sources such as solar and wind
$46.5 billion allocated toward completing Trump's border wall, plus $5 billion for Customs and Border Protection facilities and more than $6 billion to hire and retain more agents and officers.
For the first time in U.S. history, the legislation puts a price tag on applying for asylum: $1,000. It's one of a handful of new or increased fees for immigration services: $550 for work authorization applications (with renewal every six months), $3,500 for sponsoring unaccompanied children without legal status, $1,000 for undocumented individuals paroled into the U.S. and $500 for temporary protected status applications.
a cut of $330 billion from the student loan system by scrapping several existing repayment options, including the Biden-era SAVE program that based payments on income and household size, replacing them with a new, standard repayment plan and an income-based plan Republicans call their "Repayment Assistance Plan."
an increase to the definition of full-time college attendance, which is required for students to receive the maximum Pell amount, to 30 credit hours per year, up from 24.
Also tucked in the 1000-page bill is a paragraph curtailing a court's ability to require the government to follow its rulings. (!!?!?!) Readers will recall nationwide injunctions from lower courts have become a target for the Republicans as they are exploding in President Trump's second term, eroding his ability to wreak havoc through his Project 2025 agenda. Check out the rest of this newsletter for examples.
Hoosiers will pay a terrible price if this budget passes as written: in total, 232,000 Hoosiers will lose their health insurance. 151,000 Hoosiers will lose food stamps. 24,958 clean energy jobs will be eliminated. Here's a breakdown from MADVoters for the 8th Congressional district:
But it’s okay! Trump says actually, nothing meaningful is being cut! The 5/23 issue of Chop Wood, Carry Water has a lot of useful information that debunks many of the GOP talking points, plus call scripts and Resistbot links. Also, Indiana Hunger Coalition--Feeding Indiana's Hungry-- created an easy tool to take action by contacting legislators with a personalized note about why you believe these programs matter. Click here for the tool.
international students under attack
On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would revoke Harvard’s eligibility to enroll international students, an intense escalation in the Trump administration’s weeks-long showdown with the university. Approximately 6,800 international students were enrolled at Harvard in 2024-25, or 27% of the school’s total enrollment, all paying full out-of-state tuition rates. In response, Harvard filed a lawsuit in a Boston federal court, calling the revocation a “blatant violation” of both the First Amendment and federal laws. The suit also says this act has an “immediate and devastating effect” on the university and more than 7,000 visa-holders. In response to the lawsuit, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told reporters, “If only Harvard cared this much about ending the scourge of anti-American, antisemitic, pro-terrorist agitators on their campus, they wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with.” Gross. On Fox News last night, puppy-killer Kristi Noem said “this should be a warning to every other university to get your act together.” An interesting tidbit: One of the international students caught up in this shitshow is Princess Elisabeth, the 23-year-old future queen of Belgium. A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s ban. “With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,” Harvard wrote in a lawsuit filed today. The Trump administration’s move, if allowed to go ahead, would force the over 6,000 students to transfer to other schools or lose their legal status. Read more at the Guardian.
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eyes on SCOTUS
Last week, the Supreme Court granted the Trump administration’s request to pause orders by federal judges requiring government officials to allow board members at two independent federal agencies to stay in office after Trump tried to fire them. This unsigned order overturns 90 years of precedent from a case known as Humphrey’s Executor. The order said the decision “Reflects our judgment that the Government faces greater risk of harm from an order allowing a removed officer to continue exercising the executive power than a wrongfully removed officer faces from being unable to perform her statutory duty.” But Justice Elena Kagan, in her banger of a dissent (joined by Queens/Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson), called the order “Nothing short of extraordinary.” Kagan went on to say that the order “Favors the President over our precedent; and it does so unrestrained by the rules of briefing and argument—and the passage of time—needed to discipline our decision-making.” Mic drop. Read more at SCOTUSBlog
LOCAL FOCUS
we AACC what you’re doing
More than 50 years after Black students fought for a space on Indiana State University’s campus, officials are making changes to the Charles E. Brown African American Cultural Center.
The center’s mission will change, according to local historian Crystal Reynolds. On Friday, the university removed “African American” from the name of the center, as well as information on its mission statement, historical significance, and goals, according to its website. University spokespeople did not respond to multiple requests by WFIU for comment, and at the time of publication, the center's website said it is “undergoing updates.”
Provost Chris Olsen told the Tribune-Star the changes are related to budget cuts and restructuring on campus. Olsen and Center Director Sumalayo Leona Jackson did not respond to a request for comment. Read more at Indiana Public Media.
GOOD TROUBLE
We are in a public comment period for some Dept of Education chicanery, aiming to cut grants for diversity, equity, and inclusion; socio-emotional learning, and more:
Go to https://www.regulations.gov/document/ED-2025-OS-0020-0001, then click “Comment” and make your voice heard! (You can read the full press release on the ED's website)
BONUS: It would be a shame if nobody showed up to Donald's fascist birthday parade on June 14th. It would be terrible if someone got 2 tickets per phone number and then didn’t attend. On an unrelated note, Google Voice numbers can receive text messages.
RESOURCE CENTER
SCOTUS season is back in session and these justices are back to their shenanigans. Decisions are expected throughout June. Keep up to date on Alito, Gorsuch and the rest of the Supremes (derogatory) as they rule based on vibes by listening to Strict Scrutiny podcast (out every Monday + emergency episodes) or watching on YouTube.
UPCOMING EVENTS
***don’t forget to check out the Nasty Women events calendar!***
Indivisible Wabash Valley has launched a calendar for the Southern Indiana/Wabash Valley area
Wednesday, May 28th, 5:30pm: Vigo Dem VAN Training at La Quinta Inn. RSVP with your first & last name to [email protected] May 27th.
Saturday, May 31st,10am-12pm: "Dreams of Tomorrow" Peaceful Rally at the Vigo County Courthouse. Register here
SAVE THE DATE: 6/14: National Day of Action "NO KINGS" Rally
END ON A HIGH NOTE
Democrat Sam Sutton defeated his Republican opponent to win New York’s 22nd State Senate District special election — a district Trump won by 55 points in 2024.
The provision allowing the sale of public lands was removed from Republicans’ Budget Bill.
The latest draft of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which passed the House Budget Committee on Sunday night, no longer includes a provision that critics have dubbed the “nonprofit killer bill.”
The Supreme Court, in a 4-4 ruling, said Oklahoma cannot create the nation’s first religious charter school funded directly with taxpayer dollars.
A federal judge in Boston has blocked President Trump’s executive order to shut down the Department of Education. This is the most significant defeat to the administration’s effort to remake education and advance its Project 2025 platform to date. That same judge also ordered the Department of Education to reinstate employees who were fired in mass layoffs.
Sesame Street announced it has found a new home on Netflix. Also, the show’s administrative employees, including early childhood education experts, fundraisers, producers, and paralegals, have unionized. Win win!
Trump's time in the White House runs out in:
A woman was elected to Congress before women’s suffrage. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.