It’s the fourth of July, but somehow we doubt there’s going to be any wild celebrations over at the Murkowski household. That’s because Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski has just made the most embarrassing screw-up of her career, and her Democrat colleagues hate her for it.
On Tuesday, Murkowski left jaws on the floor when she voted to advance Donald Trump’s insane “Big, Beautiful Bill” through the Senate, paving the way for its final passage, and Trump’s signature, making it law.
Murkowski voted for it on the basis that she’d hoped the House would make changes to the bill before returning it to the Senate, the political equivalent of putting a juicy steak in front of a hungry dog, telling it sternly not to eat it, then leaving the room. Along the way, she admitted, “Do I like this bill? No.” Well then, don’t vote for it, idiot!
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been one of the bill’s most critical opponents over the last few weeks and didn’t mince her words when it came to Murkowski’s excuses. She said, “This isn’t about you,” and then pointed out that this vote will remove healthcare from 17 million Americans, effectively killing many of them. And, in a stark conclusion, “Americans are going to suffer. YOU admit that. And YOU supported it.”
This isn’t about you.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 3, 2025
This is about the 17 million Americans whose health insurance you’re taking away.
And after you turned your back on them to vote “YES”, you said your fellow House GOP should vote NO.
Americans are going to suffer. YOU admit that. And YOU supported it. https://t.co/N8oQtgPw23
All this to kill more whales?
Murkowski’s tactics were, essentially, to push for Alaska-specific concessions (e.g., a bizarre tax break for whaling) to be added to the bill in exchange for her vote. This tactic was quickly judged by many (including some Republicans) to be an attempt to “bail out” Alaska while hanging the rest of the country out to dry. In the end, it’s not even clear she achieved that, with Rep. Jim McGovern concluding “she’s a cheap date”, indicating that MAGA got to buy this critical Democrat vote for almost nothing.
Even the official Democrat X account didn’t let up, dismissing Murkowski’s antics as making a critical national issue all about her:
Lisa Murkowski: https://t.co/8ajpXKpunk pic.twitter.com/VRQCBoH3a5
— Democrats (@TheDemocrats) July 1, 2025
Murkowski isn’t up for re-election until 2028 and, to be honest, as she’s a right-leaning centrist, we suspect the establishment Dems will get over their anger and son refocus it once more on the more popular and younger socialist side of the party. But, when the Trump Medicaid cuts bite and the Dems are campaigning against it, just remember that Murkowski is one of the key reasons Trump got his way.
