1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I write with unequivocal opposition to the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” (BBB) championed by former President Donald Trump and his political allies. This bill, under the guise of “national renewal,” is a sprawling authoritarian policy framework that codifies federal overreach, institutionalized discrimination, and sweeping rollbacks of constitutional protections. At its core, the BBB proposes federalization of state law enforcement under “urban stabilization,” permitting indefinite deployment of militarized federal units into U.S. cities without consent of local governments. This upends the Tenth Amendment and nullifies federalism. Its redefinition of “domestic extremism” to include any protest that “disrupts economic continuity or public perception of order” is a direct assault on the First Amendment, criminalizing dissent and weaponizing the DOJ against protected speech. Immigration provisions are equally draconian. Modeled after Executive Order 13769, the bill imposes bans on immigration from countries labeled “anti-American,” a vague and politicized designation. It reinstates family separation, abolishes asylum for climate and gang-related refugees, and funds border “processing zones” that bypass habeas corpus. Economically, the BBB promotes “patriotic capitalism,” a form of crony corporatism. It introduces tax incentives for firms that align with “national cultural values,” giving government leverage over private enterprise via ideological conformity. It repeals DEI rules in federal contracts and removes labor protections for workers at companies deemed “strategically vital.” The education and media sections are even more disturbing. The bill creates a “National Curriculum Integrity Commission” with federal oversight of local education, enabling whitewashing of history, banning books, and defunding critical academic programs. It directs the FCC to create a “Digital Loyalty Index” to boost pro-government platforms and suppress dissenting views. This legislation reframes democracy as disorder, civil liberty as threat, and surveillance as security. Voting yes desecrates the Constitution and emboldens creeping authoritarianism. Vote no. Reject tyranny packaged as reform.