Growing up in rural Tennessee in the early 2000s, I was the kind of kid who was weirdly obsessed with politics. I followed the debates over the proposed state income tax, decorated my bedroom with Republican campaign signs, and eagerly read our local newspaper each morning to catch up on what had happened in Nashville the day before. Needless to say, I probably wasn’t the most fun kid to hang out with…but that’s a story for another day.
Back then, Marsha Blackburn was one of my heroes. She was a rising star in the Tennessee GOP and embodied what I believed a Republican should be: a defender of the average Tennessean, an advocate for rational government, and a vocal opponent of unnecessary taxation. Her leadership in stopping the state income tax left a lasting impression on me. But two decades later, it’s hard to reconcile that image with the Marsha Blackburn we see today.
The same forces that have warped much of the modern GOP have not spared Senator Blackburn. Her recent vote in favor of President Trump’s “mega-bill” is just the latest evidence.
Let’s be clear about what this bill means for Tennessee: Over 300,000 people in our state stand to lose their healthcare. Cuts to Medicaid could shutter rural hospitals, some of the only lifelines in isolated communities. Reductions to SNAP benefits will leave children to go hungry. The very people Marsha Blackburn once claimed to fight for are the ones who will suffer the most.
So who benefits? Not working Tennesseans. Not struggling families. The biggest winners are the ultra-wealthy. This bill hands $114 billion in tax breaks to the top 1 percent. In fact, 69 percent of its tax cuts go to the richest 20 percent of Americans. So yes, Senator Blackburn is right when she says this bill delivers big tax cuts…just not for you or me.
The facts are simple: Marsha Blackburn sold us out. With her vote, she said yes to hurting our neighbors who are already struggling. Yes to taking from the poor to give to the rich. Yes to deepening the deficit she once claimed to care about.
And now, as she eyes a run for governor, the question is just as simple: Will we hold her accountable?
Walker Rhodes
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Contrary to what Mr. Rhodes has opinioned, Marsha Blackburn has helped many in the state of Tennessee unlike the other Democratic representatives of the state.
She has accomplished much avoiding a tax hike on Tennesseans that would increase by $2660 per taxpayer. She has helped limit illegal immigration and supports our U.S. military. Thank you, Senator Blackburn, for your hard work.
Tim Bittenbender
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Current national debt is $36.2 trillion. This law will see annual interest at $1trillion and it adds $4.2 trillion to the debt. Our grandchildren will get to pay off what we squandered, if the country doesn’t default.
Thankfully in this moment the Freedon Caucus has the fortitude their fellows in the majority do not have. And for Tennesseans who are rural citizens, try getting an ambulance to an urban hospital this time of day. You for certain won’t be able to go to many Jasper-size places after they shut over Medicaid cuts.
Our current GOP make themselves into Democrats the way they like to spend without noticing how much deficit piles up. This makes the pandemic money rain seem a light drizzle.
Prentice Hicks
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You're exactly right, Mr. Rhodes. Marsha has definitely sold out her constituents.
I am sure protecting us from illegal immigrants trying to have a better life for their families and supporting our military (which is important) is more crucial to struggling Tennessee families than having healthcare and food. She's a disappointment now and needs to go.
Vicki Hill
Hixson