Letters to the Editor: This reader felt the call to speak out against the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

To the editor: When I retired from my teaching career, I decided that I was going to get more actively involved in trying to make a difference through communication in written form. I had already educated students in history for 16 years and now I wanted to reach a bigger audience. Although writing was rewarding, I felt that I still needed to continue to communicate verbally to try to make a difference.

To that effect, I have, on three occasions, made calls to lawmakers to express my opinion about legislation. I called countless federal legislators during President Trump’s first term to try to keep the Affordable Care Act from being repealed. I still remember my joy in watching Sen. John McCain cast the deciding vote.

Twice now in the last two months, I have called every senator over two bills, the first being the SAVE Act. Yesterday, I completed 100 calls to try to convince the senators that parts of the “Big Beautiful Bill” are devastating (“Senate Republicans seek tougher Medicaid cuts and lower SALT deduction in Trump’s big bill,” June 17). The huge cuts to social programs like Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act are overwhelming and the amounts seem to change daily. My biggest fear is the provision on Page 562 that few know about and mention (including your article). Although the details are confusing, the effects are clear: The power of the courts, which so far have been the people’s only recourse, will essentially be weakened and the results could lead to full dictatorship.

Lynn Lorenz, Newport Beach

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To the editor: The simple answer to avoiding the cruel and unnecessary cuts to programs and services funded by the federal government is to let the Trump tax cuts expire (“Republican fractures multiply over Trump’s megabill,” June 19). Our priorities should be the poor, those in danger of losing healthcare, school lunch programs, national parks and climate change, not continuing tax breaks for the wealthy.

Patricia Koch, Long Beach