‘Families First’ rally draws those angered by cuts in Trump budget bill

The San Diego County Administration Building is shown on Jan Photo by Zo Meyers inewsource Roughly people Saturday spoke out against authorities cuts to Medicaid during a downtown rally a union spokeswoman reported Protesters at the event called Families First National Day of Action demanded that Congress repeal the cuts and hold billionaires accountable The San Diego event was one of more than scheduled across the country Working families must come first noted Renee Salda a an official with Institution Employees International Union and United Healthcare Workers This emergency is statewide and worsening driven by a federal budget that prioritizes corporate profits over people Salda a noted healthcare care workers shared how these cuts at Sharp HealthCare have already led to layoffs affecting hundreds of families Those still working are stretched thin risking victim care Saldana announced Sharp HealthCare on June informed the cuts saying they were due to economic conditions having dramatically changed over the last five years according to a declaration from the company Speakers at Saturday s event at Waterfront Park outside the San Diego County Administration Building included Rep Sara Jacobs D-San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre former state Sen Toni Atkins and Bridgette Browning of the San Diego Imperial Counties Labor Council Earlier this month the Republican-controlled Congress passed H R including sharp cuts to numerous programs including Medicaid on a party-line vote President Donald Trump then signed the budget into law on July In late May House Speaker Mike Johnson R-Louisiana described the bill as nation-shaping statute that reduces spending permanently lowers taxes for families and job creators secures the boundary unleashes American force dominance restores peace through strength and makes establishment work more efficiently and effectively for all Americans Organizers of Saturday s rallies though called the cuts a upshot of Congress s cruel actions Their concerns focused on defunding of healthcare for million Americans cuts to food assistance and a jump in funding for immigration enforcement Partners include the National Domestic Workers Alliance SEIU MoveOn District Change Action Caring Across Generations MomsRising and Planned Parenthood