While I don’t believe the raid on Mar-a-Lago was an intentional distraction, it can serve as one. Maybe that shitty thing will distract voters from all the other shitty things Republicans do.

Maybe the revelation that Donald Trump is a traitor to this nation and only cares about himself…OK, a reminder that Donald Trump is a traitor and doesn’t care about anyone except himself will distract voters from the fact that not one Republican voted for it.

The Inflation Reduction Act won’t just decrease today’s inflation, but it will provide benefits over the next decade and beyond. In addition to reducing inflation, it will decrease healthcare costs and fight climate change. It will reduce the growth of the deficit and includes a 15 percent minimum cash tax on corporations. Called the “Amazon Tax,” it is expected to raise $222 billion over 10 years and $35 billion in 2023. Republicans hate this.

Amazon, which had a seven-percent tax rate on a profit of $22 billion over the past two years, should see its tax rate increase to 15 percent, just like Tesla, which paid around nine percent over the past two years on a profit of over $7 billion.

The bill also moves to cap and lower seniors’ drug costs while sparing about 13 million low-and middle-income Americans from increases in their insurance premiums that would have risen in 2023. Republicans voted against that.

The Republican talking point against this bill is that it will add 87,000 Internal Revenue Service agents with guns to come after you. Since Republicans are saying this, it’s a lie.

The bill includes funding for the IRS which will “allow” them to add 87,000 employees, not 87,000 auditors…or the term the GOP is using, “agents.” These employees will be added over the next decade with many replacing retiring employees. In case you’re a Republican MAGA goon, a decade is ten years. The focus will be going after the mega-rich who cheat on taxes. Naturally, Republicans hate that and are telling middle-class voters they’re the ones the IRS and Democrats are going after. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said it would allow the government to hire tens of thousands of new IRS agents to “snoop around in your bank account, your Venmo, your small business, and then the government will shake you down for every last cent.”

Someone tell Kevin McCarthy that PayPal, which owns Venmo, already files all your incoming money with the government and sends you a 1099. So, you better file the payments you received through PayPal.

Republicans are also calling it a “tax increase on families” despite the fact it doesn’t raise individual rates. Republicans lie. But you have to lie when all your ideas and policy positions are shit, like blocking a $35 insulin cap.

An amendment in the Senate to add a $35 insulin cap only received only seven votes from Republicans, meaning it failed to reach the 60-vote threshold it needed to pass. Just how shitty are Republicans to vote against this?

Insulin can cost as much as $99 in the United States. The next nation where insulin is most expensive is Chile, where it can as much as $21. Insulin is life-saving medicine for many diabetics who don’t have a choice and must buy it, no matter the price. There are diabetics in this country who choose insulin over food. This means without caps from the government, the corporations selling it can just blah-blah-blah with the excuses for the high prices while raking in billions. Republican opposition to this was blamed on the cost being shifted to insurance premiums or that they were voting against socialism. How dare government go all socialist and cut costs for insulin.

Pharmaceutical companies are just as greedy and care for their consumers about as much as oil companies do.

I forgot to include in my cartoon the GOP vote against healthcare for veterans who are suffering from exposure to burn pits. The GOP initially voted for it, then against it just so Biden couldn’t get a win. Republicans turned around and voted for it again after they couldn’t tolerate the noise level from public outrage. See? Republicans don’t care about you at all. This is just an example that their positions are not based on any values or principles.

This brings us to abortion which most Americans support. Republicans spent decades trying to overturn Roe vs. Wade and they made a lot of celebratory noise when they finally got it. Now, they’re a little quieter about it after Kansas voters rejected a state ban on abortion. Republicans don’t want voters to be reminded that most of them will force ten-year-olds to birth their rapists’ babies.

Republicans are horrible and vile creatures. Since we can’t ban Republicans, maybe we can put a cap on them. I’m thinking of a cap of 35 Republicans per chamber in Congress and every state legislature. Of course, that wouldn’t be constitutional, so hey…Republicans should love it.

This November, do not let Republicans change the subject. Yes, Donald Trump is a vile human being and a criminal who should be going to prison. But the rest of the Republican party is just as vile. Vote them out. Don’t let them take Congress.

Why give control of Congress to the people who vote against healthcare for veterans, healthcare for you, insulin caps, inflation reduction, free elections, democracy, and abortion rights while covering up for a traitor?

Music Note: I listened to some Foo Fighters B-sides. These are songs that were never on an official Foo Fighter album. They’re demos, covers, outtakes, and songs for movie soundtracks. There’s a lot of good stuff in there. The Foo Fighters have recorded a lot of covers but they’ve never put one on an album.

Signed prints: The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you don’t like PayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. I can mail the prints directly to you or if you’re purchasing as a gift, directly to the person you’re gifting.

Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire: There are 19 copies of my book in stock, which go for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.

Tip Jar: if you want to support the cartoonist, please send a donation through PayPal to clayjonz@gmail.com. You can also snail it to P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402.

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