DEAR EDITOR:

President Trump has taken over management of our country’s purse and has spent plenty on a wide variety of projects. Congress doesn’t care. Besides his Impulsive spending, Trump has failed to honor appropriations authorized by Congress that are due to be disbursed right now.

His Big Beautiful Bill will eliminate Medicaid, but not until maybe Christmas 2026.

That’s what was written into the bill when it passed. SNAP food cards will be cut. Some people will retain their benefits if they work or perform community service 20 hours per week. This does not apply to immigrants, who do not receive any benefits through Medicaid. This applies to Americans who receive Medicaid benefits.

The taxes require a huge piece out of the budget, amounting to just over a trillion dollars.

Trump has permanently renewed tax breaks for the wealthy. Small increases for low-income families will be offset by Medicaid loss. Wealthy taxpayers will gain tax breaks worth tens or even hundreds of billions. He is also spending a ton of money that we never knew he planned to spend:

• The $2.9 billion American First Opportunity Fund is earmarked to support Jordan and India.

• $500 billion to charter schools, taken from public school funding, cut by 60 percent plus another $60 million.

• Spending $75 million now for four years’ worth of armed men, burly and surly, arresting people randomly based on their opinions of someone’s looks and dress, to deport the foreign-born.

• $70 billion spent on 20 deportation centers plus Alligator Alcatraz ($450 million), a camp at Fort Bliss ($2.5 billion), and refurbishment of a prison known as the Louisiana Lockup, a brutal place (an estimated $67 billion).

• $118 billion for Trump’s churlish National Guard deployment to Los Angeles. And now Washington, plus he’s promising Chicago.

• $43.6 billion to improve border equipment and personnel.

• $1 billion to refurbish the jet that Qatar gave to Trump, who will keep it when he leaves.

• $200 million for redoing the East Wing ballroom.

• $1 billion for nicknaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War, with Trump dressed as Kurtz loving the smell of deportation in the morning.

Trump’s spending exceeds $880 billion. The cost for the military bases will put it over a trillion dollars. I could add even more.

Trump must restore our tax money to programs that we like and need. We pay for them.

Our useless lawmakers must stop Trump’s wild expenditures. Call Sen. Moreno (202-224-2315) or Sen. Husted (202-224-3353) or Rep. Joyce (202-225-5731) and request their support.

LINDA COCUZZI RICHTER

Niles