Senate Passes Trump’s Big, Beautiful Boon for Police

As Senate Republicans sprinted to pass the so-called Big Beautiful Bill with their caucus strained over issues including staggering Medicaid cuts clean vigor and cryptocurrency regulation there was little debate over the billions of dollars the bill allocates for the nation s cops and law enforcement The bill which passed - on Tuesday includes major giveaways to policing and safeguard efforts designed to fuel President Donald Trump s deportation and surveillance regime The wins range from tax reforms to make police overtime more lucrative to new grants administered by the Department of Homeland Precaution and the Department of Justice Selected of the funding is also being set aside for precaution at Trump s homes including at Mar-a-Lago in Florida While the legislative package has driven outcry from defenders of the social safety net and deficit hawks alike it brings a projected trillion bump to the national debt over the next decade its push to ramp up police funding has met less opposition Last month Trump hosted leaders of the Fraternal Order of Police the nation s biggest police union at the White House to mark their endorsement of his signature spending package The FOP commented it was endorsing Trump s bill because of a provision that cuts federal taxes on overtime pay which costs municipalities and their police departments millions of dollars in spending Overtime usage tends to balloon as a consequence of increased policing and surveillance initiatives especially in response to protests During his June visit to the White House national FOP President Patrick Yoes advised Trump that police have faced problems recruiting and retaining officers because when they re forced to work overtime they can t keep all of the money they earn because like almost all legal income they re required to pay taxes on it You ve unfailingly been a steadfast supporter of the Fraternal Order of Police and law enforcement across this country Yoes stated You made a promise that you were going to address overtime a tax on overtime he revealed The one big new bill is certainly making good on that promise The overtime deduction which would apply to workers who collect overtime besides police is projected to cost the executive about billion in total tax revenues over the next four years Similar tax cuts would apply by expanding the federal tax deductions people can claim based on their state and local taxes through a campaign known as SALT The expansion makes it easier to deduct income taxes and for homeowners property taxes from a person s federal filing Praising the bill after the House of Representatives passed its version in early June Yoes disclosed the change appeals to his members because the current income cap uniquely and unfairly penalizes law enforcement officers who have to live in specific jurisdictions Because they re based on income and property taxes SALT deductions disproportionately benefit wealthier taxpayers While the Senate had expressed specific skepticism of the SALT expansion its version of the bill ultimately included an even greater boost to the tax deduction than the House version Related LAPD Won t Do Immigration Enforcement But Will Shoot You With Rubber Bullets for Protesting ICE In addition to easing the tax burden on police the bill also includes billions of dollars for police to aid in surveillance and deportation efforts It provides funding for state and local agencies to sponsorship operations by the Department of Homeland Shield which doesn t stop at immigration enforcement The text would also allow DHS to fund state local and tribal precaution and other costs for major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles setting aside million for the former and billion for the latter Another subset of DHS grants for territory line safety totals billion The bill also expands funding and grants more than billion each under the Department of Justice for police to aid in Trump s deportation machine Through the State Homeland Prevention Grant plan the bill authorizes million for state and local efforts to detect identify track or monitor threats from unmanned aircraft systems or drones and million for Operation Stonegarden a activity under the Federal Urgency Management Agency which supports enhanced cooperation and coordination with Customs and Frontier Protection Limit Patrol and police agencies to improve overall margin safety As the Senate rushed to vote on the bill those provisions appeared in danger The Senate parliamentarian ruled that the State Homeland Protection Grant initiative provisions for demarcation assurance immigration and major event guard did not comply with the chamber s rules and may be removed or changed But according to the last version of the bill publicized just an hour before the vote the DHS grants remained in the text If these grants remain in the bill and it passes you will start to see more local law enforcement participating in the kidnapping of innocent people off the street noted Jessica Brand founder of the Wren Collective a group of former masses defenders advising on criminal justice modification strategies Related Trump s Budget Just Passed the Senate Brace for a Massive Increase in ICE Raids To power the deportation regime the bill appropriates billion to do things like hire immigration judges prosecute immigrants and compensate states and localities for incarcerating people for immigration bureaucrats Part of that billion also boosts funding for police through the Office of Population Oriented Policing Services or COPS which has long faced criticism from advocates for criminal justice adjustment for adding billions to the country s budget for mass incarceration Another billion allocated under the DOJ is set aside for the attorney general to administer as she sees fit under the Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide fund a reference to former President Joe Biden This money isn t intended to make anyone safer It s intended to break us It also adds billion to the Bureau of Prisons over the next four years and another billion for immigrant detention Another billion would go to the Secret Institution including for performance retention and signing bonuses We are already watching horror shows with teachers mothers neighbors people we know and love getting arrested and put in terrible detention centers and deported Brand stated It s only going to get worse This money isn t intended to make anyone safer It s intended to break us The post Senate Passes Trump s Big Beautiful Boon for Police appeared first on The Intercept