3 days ago
Faith leaders protest ‘big, beautiful bill'
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – As Republicans move their big, beautiful bill through Congress, a group of faith leaders organized a protest on Monday to oppose it.
The demonstration was part of what activists have labeled 'Moral Mondays'. They argue the cuts included in this bill will hurt the most vulnerable communities.
To express their concerns, they held a march and rally. Then faith leaders went to the Capitol rotunda to pray, where Capitol police arrested them for unlawfully demonstrating in the rotunda.
The goal of all of their actions was to bring attention to their critiques of the bill. Charlottesville, Virginia based Reverend Tony Andres says he was there to voice his concerns about the planned $700 billion cut to Medicaid.
'This is a moral responsibility. It's not simply money. It's not simply politics,' Andres said. 'You've got people on Medicaid, Medicare, handicapped people who will be direly hit and some of them may well die because of this.'
Chicago, Illinois advocate Meg Georgevich is also worried about the cuts to food aid programs and how that might impact families and children.
'No child should starve for a tax cut,' Georgevich said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) defended the bill.
'In this big, beautiful Bill, the reason we call it that is because there's benefits for everybody,' Johnson said.
He says the cost savings for Medicaid come from adding work requirements and preventing fraud.
'What we're doing is strengthening the program. We're reducing fraud waste and abuse that is rampant in Medicaid,' Johnson said.
Durham, North Carolina activist Karen Ziegler says work requirements have been tried and failed before.
'All it does is kick people who need to be on and deserve to be on these programs off the programs,' Ziegler said.
With Republicans in control of Congress the advocates are facing an uphill battle.
However, they're hopeful that showing up to oppose the legislation sends a message.
'It's important that people hear the voices of people who say this is not right. If we are silent it just will go on and on and on,' Andres said.
'This is not what the people want and if they are in office to represent their constituencies, then they need to rethink where they are,' Georgevich said.
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