The People’s Lobby in Chicago was one of the many People’s Action member groups that organized a Families First! event on July 26, part of a fifty-state, 220-event mobilization to shed light on the harm the Trump administration’s planned $1 trillion in cuts to health, housing and food aid will cause to families.
“Health care is a human right, and it’s tied into every aspect of our lives,” said Cate Lujan Readling from The People’s Lobby at a rally in Chicago, which was organized by SEIU. “Solidarity means that we must continue to uphold protections for our people.”
“Families already are facing a significant financial burden, and this will just burden them even more,” said Bill Kopsky of the Arkansas Public Policy Panel, who highlighted the increased out-of-pocket costs to families, especially those whose family members have disabilities, in his comments as he opened their event. “Families might struggle to get that specialized care and services for managing complex disabilities. And this results in compromised health outcomes.”
Additional Families First! events were organized by People’s Action member groups in Maryland, California and Indiana, where participants created a “Medicaid Motorcade” to visit six rural hospitals where care may be eliminated because of the Trump-induced budget cuts.