Wrote the damn bill. Fmr: Deputy Health Policy Director, @HELPCmteDems, @SenSanders; @SenateBudget; @USGAO; @ColumbiaMSPH; @ProvidenceCol.✨🏳️🌈
Washington, DC
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Gotta hand it to the bad guys - hitting children and farmers at the same time is almost impressive!
USDA cancels $1B in local food purchasing for schools, food banks ow.ly/jJh610625C6
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It’s the American Dream! Becoming rich and famous and then selling your memorabilia to pay for cancer care!
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FYI we don’t need a Department of Government Efficiency. We already have one.
@USGAO - the Government Accountability Office (GAO, est. 1921) - saves $133 for every $1 of funding it receives! If all GAO recommendations were implemented, the financial benefit could be >$200 bil.
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We could save $450 billion over a decade by enacting Medicare site neutral payment reforms - without taking food off kids’ plates and money out of farmers’ pockets. Just one example.
$1b is a sneeze in the context of the deficit AND it’s a bad policy that’ll harm Americans.
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🧵Ever since I got covid years ago…
I haven’t been able to think linearly.
I haven’t been able to manage regular household or admin tasks.
I’ve been stuck in a brain fog.
The worst part? I don’t even want the fog to lift because -
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‼️YO. Senator Jim Banks just called a wrongfully terminated HHS worker a “clown” and said he “deserved” to lose his job. Seriously?!?
That is not how U.S. Senators should talk to civil servants. That is egregious.🤡
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12 million Americans are about to lose their health coverage.
Fetterman when asked re: timing
“Oh my God, I just want to go home. I've already my I've missed our entire trip to to the beach…, there's no drama that we know the votes are going to go…And I think, I don't think it's really helpful to put people here till some ungodly hour.”
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It’s a federal issue that the government just canceled $1 billion in business with local farmers, leading kids in schools to go hungry.
Make no mistake that canceling smaller contracts with local farmers will lead to further consolidation in farming. Seems un-American.
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dissociating is the only escape I have from the constant thrum of physical pain that has become my body.
I’m so gnarled, I haven’t been steady on my own two feet in years.
Everything is inflamed.
I’m constantly panicked because I’m in pervasive pain and can’t breathe.
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Rick Scott defrauded Medicare to the tune of $1.7 billion as a hospital CEO.
California is proudly giving illegal aliens free housing, free food, Medicaid, and other taxpayer-funded programs—while these same illegals destroy our country and disrespect our brave law enforcement officers and agents who are heroes. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
We must end the waste, fraud, and abuse, hold these bad actors accountable, and make sure @POTUS has the resources he needs to secure our borders and keep this country safe.
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I need people to understand that I’ve been watching my life slide into ruin in slow motion, for years, due to the cognitive & physical toll of a covid infection.
I’m getting back to myself, slowly.
Too slowly, imo.
But it’s good.
Love y’all🩷✌🏻/end
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I spend literally ALL of my free time unfucking my mind and body from covid.
I should be a healthy 34 year old, but I’ve been feeling like my life is over.
I’ve thought about calling it quits and moving home. I went to Columbia.
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Slotkin is not the way. I repeat: Slotkin is not the way. She supports a public option for health insurance in 2025 - a relevant policy perhaps a decade ago. No one wants this.
(Also she was rude to me once in person but this only confirmed my feelings lmao)
At the Harvard Political Analytics Conference, Dave Wasserman boldly predicts that the 2028 Democratic primary will be a contest between AOC and Elissa Slotkin.
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FRIDAY NEWS DUMP: After nearly 9 years in the Senate, today is my last day as @SenSanders’ health policy advisor. I started in Feb. 2016. It’s been a wild ride!
Highlights: Writing Medicare for All. Saving the ACA. ARP, BBB, IRA. Votearamas. Masks for All. 1/
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Universal school meals are a great idea for many reasons, including this: kids don’t need to know their parents can’t afford to feed them!
When I was in HS, getting free meals made lunch stressful. I really, really did not want the kids in line behind me to find out.
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On the flip side, I’ve also come to know great kindness from others thanks to this experience, and for that I’m grateful.💙
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Centrist Democrats need to face a hard truth: any policy platform popular enough to win elections is going to be called “socialism” by Republicans.
Period.
As Republicans slide authoritarian, they will deem saving democracy “radical.” Can’t outrun that branding.
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I feel like as a society we should just hiss whenever Nate Silver or Ezra Klein speak
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Ready for this fight and thrilled to be the new Deputy Health Policy Director for HELP Chairman @SenSanders!!!🎉
As the new chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, I am going to do everything I can to protect the needs of the struggling working class.
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one of the worse things about living in DC, imo, is the inescapable ad campaigns targeting congressional staff.
i’ve heard the same anti-PBM PhRMA ad during my true crime podcast about 5x now. If it’s not that, it’s an ad against legislation capping credit card interest.
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It’s not great! I temporarily received free school lunch. It was better than what other kids did, which was ask friends for change for the vending machine or sell drugs. Seems like we agree food should be better. IMO we should fund that.
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…I’m like 90% sure I had long covid and that it made the past year+ of my life absolute hell. Anywho, nice that I’m not in constant, all encompassing physical pain and can breathe again!
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Yes that’s what my tax dollars are supposed to be for - the wellbeing of the many, not just a handful of billionaires. Would rather have it go to feeding kids than blowing up a T*sla in space.
Will you commit to stopping using public resources in your daily life? Walk the walk!
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All my mid-30s friends are getting the absolute shit kicked out of them by life right now. It’s not just DOGE threatening their jobs. Yes, we live in DC, meaning the political and economic uncertainty cuts especially deep - but it’s also sick parents, life changes, and bad vibes all around.
Sending hugs to everyone going through it. We’ll get through this together.❤️
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Fun fact: medical debt inspired me to study health policy and ultimately work for @SenSanders! 🎉
• rare, nearly fatal disease at 15/16
• ICU, coma, vent, whole deal
• lived! but!
• needed 24/7 home care
• we couldn’t afford it
• very sad, guilty
• thought, “never again!”
SHARE YOUR STORY: I am leading a hearing in the Senate tomorrow on the medical debt crisis in America and I want to hear from YOU.
Has medical debt or the high cost of health care impacted you or your family?
Share your story here: outreach.senate.gov/iqextran…
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Now that I am no longer a government employee I would like to share with everyone that Marco Rubio smells like vanilla. ty
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There is so much more to say - so many more stories to share! - about the incredible time I spent working for @SenSanders and serving the Democratic caucus since 2016. I have the best colleagues in the world. It was an honor to work with them, for you.
What’s next? A nap! 🩷2/2
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Here are the terms and conditions of the USDA grants inc. for financial management: ams.usda.gov/sites/default/f…
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Rest in peace, Mischa. You were the sweetest girl. I’m so grateful for the time we got to spend together.❤️
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Because I work really hard and am hard on myself, I just started hating myself instead of realizing what was going on - had no short-term memory, didn’t recognize my body, kept missing social cues, felt so guilty about being “lazy.”
Yeah, no. I had long covid.
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Before: USDA awards $1 billion in competitive grants to schools and food banks to purchase food from local farms. Kids attend schools. Schools tend to serve meals on plates.
Now: Schools do not have the $1 billion in federal funds w which to purchase food to put on kids’ plates
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Yes. Taxpayer money saved on one side of the ledger…to pay for *drum roll* TAX CUTS FOR THE ULTRA WEALTHY! The vast majority of Americans will not see this money put back into their pockets.
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I love seeing Gen Z Hill staffers in their cool quirky outfits! Like, yes!!! Let’s shake up Congress!
(alsoooo where are u going / can I come / do you think I’m cool, etc.?)
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Wait. I love not being a Senate staffer because now I can tweet things like
SHUT THE FUCK UP MIKE JOHNSON
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I’m a big fan of “text me when you get home” culture but then i worry if I send an even slightly prematurely “home safe!” text (say, when I’m in the building but not my apartment) I will instantly get murdered.
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Moderna getting $1.7 billion in taxpayer dollars to develop a covid vaccine and then quadrupling the price. sanders.senate.gov/press-rel…
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the thing about Status Quo Democrats coming out of the woodwork to pretzel themselves and “ring the alarm” about the NYC Mayor’s race?
…they forgot how bad their own brand is right now lmao
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Okay, I’ve only been a manager for 2.5 months but so far, it’s shockingly easy to *not* be an asshole boss. Who knew!
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Ugh, Senator. I respect the institution of the Senate and our country so much. I’m saddened that your knee jerk reaction is to call civil servants “clowns.”
If you ever want to sit down and chat, I’m available! Be well, Sir.❤️
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mark my words: there will one day be a startup where people and pet insurance is rolled into a “family” membership for primary medical/veterinarian care. it will be a private equity grift that boasts lower costs for hoomans and dramatically increases the cost of pet medications.
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I got my training at the Government Accountability Office (@USGAO) which is a nonpartisan federal watchdog agency - basically what DOGE wishes it were. We investigated fraud waste and abuse.
You can think what you’d like. I love this country and even you. Thanks for your time!
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Cannot understate how much cramped muscles and blood flow/oxygen deprivation f u c k y o u u p and make life u n b e a r a b l e. It’s like I’ve been suffocating and hurting all over, constantly exhausted and in such a fog I started thinking I had cognitive issues.
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Starting to feel like your early 30s in America is a rough time for many. No one is having a good time. We call this “being an adult” but it’s more about a capitalist society demanding you be a Worker, a Consumer, and Nothing Else.
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It’s not a “Schumer shutdown” when Republicans control the House, Senate, and White House.
Democrats are choosing a Schumer shutdown over the will of the American people, who gave President Trump an overwhelming mandate to rein in the size of government and Make America Great Again.
I’m standing with Trump and the American people. 🇺🇸
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Not for nothing but I personally can’t imagine being so arrogant as to dismantle an entire country’s government without…knowing anything?
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U.S. health care prices are obscenely inflated. How do I know?
It just cost DC less than $225,000 to purchase $42 million in medical debt from hospitals and “cancel” it for over 62,000 residents.
wtop.com/dc/2024/08/how-dc-u…
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the thing about attacking federal agencies is, most of them are just grey cubicles, beige staplers, and lots of nonpartisan career civil servants in business casual who really care about the country.
and that’s probably how it should be.
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Oh no! I don’t want to FIGHT fight, Senator! Let’s give it up for the civil servant heroes petitioning Congress for their jobs back. That’s a fundamentally American activity, IMO. ❤️🇺🇸🎉
Love y’all! Stay safe out there and remember - solidarity forever.✊🏻
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hi! so, i’ve been in a lot of physical pain for a couple of years (wow!) recovering from burnout and long covid.
today, something shifted and i got major pain relief. and then i cried like a baby. because i’m grateful to be able to believe in a bigger life for myself again.❤️🤞🏻
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my generic (commonly prescribed) antidepressant has been out of stock at the pharmacy for over a week with no ETA. also out of stock elsewhere.
I asked the pharmacist what happens in cases when it’s a med someone *physically* needs to live. they gave the same answer: 🤷🏻♀️
COOL
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There’s a lot to say about January 6th. It had a substantial negative impact on my mental health and feelings of safety at work. Combined with the election, pandemic, police protests, and general stress of working in Congress, it really sent me flying over the edge into burnout.
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I’ll also never forget the girl at my HS who would sometimes go around the cafeteria trying to sell a dime bag of weed so she could buy lunch. So yeah. Free meals for everyone. Come on.
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My theory is the $1 billion cut is not going back to American taxpayers. It will be used to pay for tax cuts for the ultra wealthy, benefiting fewer people than current spending.
Schools might chip in but they’re broke and someone has to foot the bill - strapped state budgets.
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Guys I’m 5 minutes into S1E1 of the Sopranos and there’s a misleading newspaper headline on Medicare solvency.
Does not bode well for the rest of this show!
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Every report should have the year of publication prominently featured on the front page. (Please)
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In my personal opinion, successful Medicare drug price negotiations will greatly expand Americans’ policy ideas and political imaginations (in addition to saving lives and money).
Today I’m hopeful for the future!
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the more i learn about rich people’s lives the angrier i get. i don’t understand how someone who grew up poor would simp for these fuckos (not that it’s their fault but the disparity is freaking INSANE, arbitrary, and cruel). 🔥
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When I survived a 1 in 1 million chance disease as a teen, the same U.S. health system that saved my life ABANDONED me when I needed 24/7 care for a year post-discharge.
If not for Medicaid and SNAP, I would have been SOL and that medical miracle would’ve been totally wasted.💔
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just asked the most normal person i know if any of this ⬇️ makes sense to them. stay tuned!
chief of staff: madam President, very good news. You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.
Kamala Harris [ munching kerrygold block of unburned by what has been ]: hot damn. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?
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this is a bizarre little quirk of mine but as a former poor kid living in DC whose family & friends alike can’t understand my intersectionality, I enjoy going to high end bars/restaurants and bonding with waitstaff.
ik this may sound pathetic to others but for me it’s real. 🤷🏻♀️
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I am a HUGE adrenaline junkie*
*am working in an unsaved Microsoft Word document just to feel something
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I think it’s rude for a United States Senator to “punch down” and speak to “real” workers and potential constituents who are exercising their right to petition the government. They can say all they want on TV, about other high level officials, whatever - it’s politics. I get it. The news is a circus.
What I don’t support is people in positions of power being mean to “normal” people who have dedicated their careers to public service. 🤷🏻♀️🇺🇸
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One time a man who ran for Congress told me it was “a little low class” that I had a Columbia business card holder (got my MPH in 2014).
…He didn’t know how hard I’d worked to be *lucky* enough to even have a shot at a decent life. Also he lost his race lmao
heard a story today along the lines of:
woman flaunts her harvard degree at work at every opportunity
coworker w a more modest degree gets fed up and shoots back "isnt it funny that we both wound up with the same job at the same firm"
at first this sounded odd to me--
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Grok says the money goes to children and farmers. Only 13% of applicants approved last round of funding for one program.
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Three cheers for the Insulin for All Act!
Excellent work by @zainrizvi, the entire Sanders and Bush teams, and advocates across the country!🎉
It’s time for us to cap the PRICE of insulin, not just insulin copays.
In 1923, the inventors of insulin sold their patents for $1 to save lives, not to turn pharma executives into billionaires. Today, I am introducing the Insulin for All Act w/ @RepCori to cap the list price of insulin at no more than $20 per vial and put an end to corporate greed.
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This is how people die in custody.
In a graphic video that has since gone viral on social media, about 7 or more masked men wearing U.S. Border Patrol vests are seen violently detaining a Santa Ana father before forcing him into the back of an unmarked car. Details: ktla.com/news/local-news/mas…
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went out tonight I have one observation: there are men everywhere waiting for women to get drunk. 😬🤢
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I’m pretty much a ride or die Democrat and I know the ACA is under attack (yet again) but come on. Read the room.
LOOK TO THE FUTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know it can feel like a different era sometimes. But fifteen years ago, I signed the Affordable Care Act into law. Now nearly 50 million people have received health care through the ACA.
With everything going on right now, it’s easy to feel like regular folks can’t make a difference – but the Affordable Care Act is a reminder that change is possible when we keep fighting for progress.
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Honk if you support the Medical Debt Cancellation Act! 📯
Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna reveal bill aimed at eliminating medical debt theguardian.com/us-news/arti…
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smiled real big at someone I thought was holding a baby in a blanket but i’m not wearing my glasses and turns out it’s a party sized bag of chips
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just the word “female” in a document can get your federal grant funding yanked? cool.
Per @darbysaxbe, from a program officer at the National Science Foundation, federal grants can now be pulled for containing any of these keywords. Absurd and dangerous
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Notable: Parliamentarian rules that two major Murkowski sweeteners violate the Byrd rule. Thune added Medicaid boosts for Alaska to secure her vote on the MTP.
🚨Byrd Bath Violations Continue to Roll in on Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill”🚨
Violations here: budget.senate.gov/ranking-me…
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Grok says 0% of funds go to indirect or administrative costs. I would have guessed 10% which is not uncommon for grant programs.
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Sperm is endlessly abundant and eggs are not. One party grows a fetus INSIDE THEM for 9 months and can produce food for the baby thereafter. The other isn’t needed for more than 5 minutes. It’s comical that men think they have a say here. Comical, infuriating, and DANGEROUS.
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Prove it. I’ll wait. In the meantime, here is the current USDA website with a summary of how funds are used in each state. ams.usda.gov/selling-food-to…
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Here’s some initial info I found on Nevada. All states here: ams.usda.gov/selling-food-to…
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being a leader requires good judgment and self restraint. imo losing your cool and swearing at staff *ON CAMERA* is pretty disqualifying behavior. don’t let the girlbosses tell you otherwise.
Exclusive from @melmason on Katie Porter, who berates a staffer and tells her to “get out of my fucking shot!” while recording a video with the Biden administration.
The video + story — scooped by @politico👇🏼
politico.com/news/2025/10/08…
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