Dear Editor:
Disgusting abomination" is how Elon Musk described the tax bill that my congressman, Michael Guest, just voted in favor of. That's exactly how I would describe it.
This bill, if passed into law, would strip 20,500 people from the ACA health insurance marketplace and another 7,248 from Medicaid, resulting in a total of 27,748 people losing their health insurance coverage. And everyone of these poor people live in Mississippi's 3rd congressional district, which is represented by Michael Guest. These people are our family, neighbors, friends, and co-workers. And yet, Michael Guest apparently has no problem with these people losing their health care coverage. His action is almost as heinous as that of another beloved Rankin County son known as Governor Tate Reeves, who, by refusing to expand Medicaid, has denied 230,000 poor Mississippians of health care coverage and caused the state to lose out on 15 BILLION federal dollars!
I consider the actions of these two men to be "sins of omission." I am a Christian and in the Christian faith, a sin of omission is failing to do something that you know you should, but deliberately choose not to. Jesus clearly tells us to care for the sick and feed the poor (another failure of Tate Reeves).
So, let me put it this way. If a person of power knowingly blocks or strips access to healthcare for poor people; they are committing a sin of omission. It's just that simple.
And this is saying nothing about the negative impact this will have on the already struggling rural hospitals in Congressman Michael Guest's district. Some of these facilities are already on the verge of closure.
Furthermore, this bill would add another 3.4 TRILLION to our national debt. And just think, all this is being done so that billionaires can get another tax break!! It is truly an abomination! The congressman and governor have surely left their souls on the altar of Trump.
The late former U.S. president, Jimmy Carter is quoted as saying, "If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying that you want a nation based on Christan values, BECAUSE YOU DON'T" Amen, Mr. President!
So, "disgusting abomination" or "big and beautiful" bill? You decide.
Camille Wright, Brandon, MS, Northside Sun Subscriber
