Thanks to the fecklessness of NJ Representatives Chris Smith, Thomas Kean Jr., and Jeff Van Drew, and the self-serving sycophancy of the Republican Congress, with neighbor representative Mike Lawler (a TV screen magnet) and Senate towards our would be king, the Big Monstrous Bill will take effect. Those four could have prevented what is now the law. Mr. Smith, self-proclaimed advocate for the disabled, what will these cuts in Medicaid mean for the disabled, your championed people with autism, and their necessary services and care in homes or schools? Or what will it mean for SNAP benefits or school lunch for underserved children?  In the movie, Mr. Smith goes to Washington, the protagonist played by James Stewart has the courage to challenge the political machine. Courage is shredded with the new version, “Mr. Smith Stays in Washington”, with the subtitle, No Town Halls and 40 More Years. As for Mr. Kean, Jr., his only resemblance to his father is in name. Mr. Van Drew, recently a Democrat, now a Republican, is another self-serving politician who clings to office. Lawler, a so-called moderate, just couldn’t be one when it counted. Damn the deficit increase projected to be at minimum 3 trillion dollars. Let’s see how Smith’s, Kean Jr.’s, Van Drew’s, and Lawler’s Trump abeyance will help their constituents.

It would be easy to remind us about the awfulness of the present president, six times bankrupt, convicted felon, sexual predator, and F word, bully role model for children and students. Or about the uneducated secretary of education, former WWF spokeswoman. Or about the doctor of nothing, famously named, secretary of health and human services. Or about the callousness and obsequiousness of the vice president who suggested Haitians dine on dogs, and that Vladomyr Zelensky, in the face of an existential war started by one of the most oppressive of regimes, was not adequately servile to the autocrat in chief.

It would be easy to remind us about the harm DOGE and Musk have done to dedicated and effective civil servants, not limited to former US Veterans. Or, about the autocratic indulgences by the president’s supreme court that enables assaults on the US Constitution, with National Guard and Marines on US soil, superseding state’s rights. Or about the gestapo-like ICE tactics, now the most powerful and highly funded federal “police” force ever, with their manhandling of citizens and seizing and arresting immigrants, illegal or not, in the most violent, arbitrary, and cruel ways.

Now the Big Monstrous Bill will take away and deny services for the disabled, elderly, poor, sick, and stop food benefits for children. With the tax cuts for the wealthy and those of means, the poor will get significantly poorer. Cynically, the Republicans in Congress have the cuts to Medicaid taking place right after the midterm election. For us in NJ, this fealty by Chris Smith, Thomas Kean Jr., and Jeff Van Drew to Trump trumps fidelity to their constituents. Those misguided by propaganda who voted for them and him will see the consequences of their choices.