Trump and Iowa allies celebrate the big bill

The unimaginable has now become commonplace:

Stripping health care from 56,000 Iowans.

Taking food assistance and safety nets away from Iowa's children, seniors, and veterans.

Adding $3.3 trillion to the national deficit.

The expedited, so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (BBB), grossly unpopular, rife with poisonous policy, prompted a national televised celebration right here in our own Des Moines' backyard. The mastermind, accompanied by ample congressional sycophants, reveled in his success.

Easily garnering the unwavering support of Iowa's entire congressional delegation, ferried on Air Force One to the fairgrounds charade, "Iowa nice" has betrayed the most vulnerable among us. Our elected officials, Chuck Grassley, Joni Ernst, Zach Nunn, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Ashley Hinson, and Randy Feenstra, attempted to disguise the real consequences of their vote.

Congressional loyalists live in fear of a MAGA primary. Holdouts quickly lose conviction and conscience as they succumb to threats, intimidation, demands for fealty, and/or White House ceremony. Fueled by megalomania, thoughtfulness, reason, and allegiance to country morph into falsifications, justifications, subterfuge, and outright lies.

Although the oft-touted tax breaks (favoring wealthy individuals and corporations) become effective immediately, some of the lethal cuts to Medicaid, food assistance programs, and other safety net provisions don't begin until after the 2026 election.

Another devastating provision of the BBB is the decade-long postponement of the nursing home minimum staffing standards rule, studied to save over 13,000 lives annually, 130,000 over 10 years. These are preventable deaths! This postponement was included under the false pretense of saving taxpayer dollars by delaying the rule's effect. In reality, the expense ought to have been borne by the mostly for-profit nursing home industry that is collecting billions while residents suffer and die.

While the MAGA leader puts his outsize sharpie autograph on yet another assault on the country we once knew, the Fourth of July seems a starkly juxtaposed occasion for celebration. No amount of red white and blue merchandising, Bible selling, wrapping oneself in the flag can hide it. There’s DOGE "savings,“ including the National Weather Service reductions, FEMA transitions, Education Department eliminations, press freedom dismantling, National Science Foundation removals, USAID obliterations, DOJ firings, and Inspector General dismissals. We’ve seen deportations, scapegoating, bullying, vilifications, name-calling, lies, hatred, corruption, self-dealing, vindictiveness, insurrectionists' pardons, appointments of unfit officials, retributions, denials of due process, mocking of the disabled, dangerous signal chat use, Putin adoration, demeaning of allies, NATO bashing and tariff wars.

America's greatness is founded upon an unwavering oath to the Constitution and the values of compassion, generosity, truthfulness, humility, humanity, and adherence to the rule of law that we "suckers and losers" believe in.

Dean Lerner is a former Director of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. dean@kelinsonlaw.com