The Al Franken Podcast Catherine Rampell on Trump’s Economic Policies
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Jul 20, 2025 
Catherine Rampell, a Washington Post columnist specializing in economics, dives deep into Trump's economic policies. She explains how the Big, Beautiful Bill threatens to expand the deficit while benefiting the wealthiest Americans. Rampell emphasizes the vital role of immigrants in the economy, highlighting the troubling issue of innocent individuals being rounded up and disappearing. The conversation also addresses the inflationary effects of Trump's tariffs and critiques the disproportionate benefits of recent tax cuts, painting a sobering picture of current economic strategies.
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Impact of Rescission Package Cuts
- The rescission package cuts funding for public broadcasting, foreign aid, and anti-AIDS programs like PEPFAR.
- Republicans seek congressional approval for these previously unilaterally attempted cuts amid ongoing legal challenges.
Big Tax Cuts Hide Cost
- The 2017 tax cuts extended by the bill help almost all Americans but mostly benefit the wealthy.
- Republicans hid the true deficit cost by temporarily sunset provisions then extending them, a deceptive accounting tactic.
Health Insurance Cuts' Consequences
- The bill is estimated to strip health insurance from 12 million people, potentially 17 million when accounting for expiring credits.
- This will devastate rural hospitals financially and impact communities' reliable access to care.