Oct. 27, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette: Some thoughts to pass along: The BBB Act passed and signed into law earlier this year tripled the yearly budget for ICE. According to the Brennan Center, a nonpartisan law and policy institute, this means the yearly budget for ICE is now more than the combined annual budgets for law enforcement spent by state and local governments in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
A s most people are aware, the East Wing of the White House was just demolished without permits or consultation with Congress to make way for the ballroom being built by the current administration. If this doesn’t bother you, please ask yourself honestly how you would react if this had been done by President Obama or President Biden.
President Trump is giving $20 billion in taxpayer money to Argentina to shore up its failing economy, even while SNAP benefits are about to be ended for children, the elderly, the disabled, and other needy individuals in at least 25 states that do not have enough emergency funds in their state budgets to cover the program costs.
About 730,000 federal workers are continuing to do their jobs without pay, including air traffic controllers, those making sure Social Security, Medicare, and VA benefits are being processed, and those in intelligence positions who have dedicated their careers to protecting our country from foreign adversaries who wish us harm. The Republicans in the House of Representatives have not worked since Sept. 18, and Speaker Mike Johnson announced they will continue to stay out at least through the end of October. They, however, have not missed a paycheck. PATTY HIGGINS Lexington
