Democracy Out Loud #439.1:The Budget

We have to fight this in the next few weeks with everything we have.

The bill is being read now in the Senate and debates are next. Senator Tillis voted against bringing the bill to the floor and has said he will vote against it. We have to thank him and hold him to that, and keep calling Senators, especially Senators Budd, Collins, and Murkowski (Senate Directory).

This bill will direct Congress to carry out Trump’s full deadly and dystopian agenda. Its effects on all of our lives cannot be overstated. See this gift article from the New York Times (thanks, Lisa), “How awful is the Republican megabit? Here are four of its worst parts.” And see Mark’s script for the die-in we did last week on the street. For the sake of a massive, unthinkable transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich, an additional 11.8 MILLION people will lose their healthcare and this bill will add 4 TRILLION Dollars to the national debt. This bill directs Congress to spend 80 billion dollars for mass deportation. We’ve seen what that looks like.

Tomorrow Monday June 30, several organizations including Down Home and NC Justice Center are once again convening at multiple Senate offices simultaneously. A lot of us are going to join the one in Raleigh at 11 am and bring Calile’s powerful tombstones for a funeral procession. You can sign up at this link.

If you can make it to Washington DC for Monday’s protest (below), do. It is perfectly timed to coincide with the debate in the Senate. You can get more information and sign up at this link.

A terrible new monster voter suppression bill, NC HB 958 “Election Law Changes” was unveiled on short notice in the NC House Elections committee, which coincidentally (?!) developed an urgent need to pass the law, eliminate public comment, and clear the room after only 1/2 hour. Several people from the Legislative Response Team had been ready to speak, on less than 12 hours notice. Keep an eye on this one and email Mark at DemocracyOutLoud@gmail.com if you want to join the Legislative Response team, which monitors and takes action around the NCGA.

The fundraiser we are doing for the NC House Progressive Caucus is still going on. These amazing people are fighting for us and I think are the key to flipping the General Assembly Blue. You can donate at this link.

If you have room in your brain for anything besides the budget, please take a look at the Rising Majority petition and Call to Action, “No War in Iran, No Genocide in Palestine, No Exceptions.” Endorse it as an individual or, if you are able, for your organization.

I am delighted to say that in an historic move, the NC Democratic Party just adopted a resolution calling for an immediate arms embargo for Israel. To understand why it is so important if you don’t already know, check out Thanissara’s substack, “Gaza: Ground Zero of Empire: A reckoning with truth, grief, and justice.” And check out this new information about a NC-based group taking over distribution of food aid in Gaza. This is a disaster.

Vets About Face and other veterans organizations are doing amazing work. Check out their Community Defense Resource Page.

US Representative Valerie Foushee is our guest this coming Tuesday at 11:30 am. If you are new, come at 11 am so we can welcome you. Our Thursday 10 am guided meditation also continues. For the zoom link, email Jewel at DemocracyOutLoud@gmail.com and tell her a little bit about yourself.

We are at an important tipping point. No matter what happens next, we must keep pushing. It is precisely at moments like this that everything is possible. Have faith.

love, Karen

“The ruling elite, the 1%, as Oxfam recently reports, now own more than 95% of global wealth. And that’s not enough; they want it all. This isn’t just economic imbalance; it’s the accelerating consolidation and total domination of all global wealth and power. For many among the elite, fascism is simply climate security for the rich and disaster capitalism for everyone else. Increasingly, this elite is turning toward authoritarianism and militarized repression to dismantle the legal structures that once upheld democratic freedoms, human rights, environmental protections, and accountability for crimes against humanity.” Thanissara, Substack June 29, 2025.“