Washington, D.C. – Today, hundreds of Americans rallied, through the rain, to speak out against Republicans’ Billionaire Tax Scam, as the House attempts to pass this harmful and extreme legislation. The rally featured remarks by Members of Congress, labor and grassroots advocates, and individuals from across the country who will suffer if their plan becomes law.
Full video of the rally is available [here]. Getty photos will be available [here]. Additional footage available upon request.
See below for select highlights from Members of Congress and everyday Americans who spoke at today’s rally:
Members of Congress:
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries:
“Why do we oppose this bill? It represents the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, takes away health care from millions of people. Families will be hurt. Children will be hurt, women will be hurt, everyday Americans with disabilities will be hurt. Hospitals will close, nursing homes will shut down, people will die. It’s the largest cut to health care in American history, and on top of that, the largest cut to nutritional assistance in American history. They literally, these extremists, want to take food out of the mouths of children, veterans, and older Americans. And they’re doing all of this to enact the largest tax break for billionaires in American history.”
House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark:
“When you try and sneak a billionaire tax scam past the American people, you try to yada yada over the details, you know, details like 14 million people getting kicked off of Medicaid, 14 million people. It gets worse. 42 million people, kids, seniors, working people having their SNAP benefits reduced. […] They have shown their hand to us. They have shown us how they prioritize you, and they proved once again that they work for the billionaire class.”
House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar:
“Democrats are standing on the side of people, people against the Republican plan to throw millions off health insurance, to rip away food assistance. That’s exactly what this budget would do. We know which side Republicans are on. […] We know where House Republicans are standing. They’re standing with wealthy corporations. They’re standing with their billionaire campaign donors. That’s just who they are.”
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi:
“This is a Republican reverse Robin Hood. They are taking from people who should have it, who we need to help, and giving it to the richest people in America, just as they did in 2017. […] Over $700 billion from Medicaid, $300 billion from SNAP – just that’s a trillion dollars. Food out of the mouths of babies. Money in the pocket of billionaires. It’s just plain wrong.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA):
“We’re here because budgets are a statement of values. You want to know what a country truly values, then look at their budget. And the Republicans are telling us who they value. They value the billionaires. They value the billionaires over our babies. They value the billionaires over our seniors. They value the billionaires over everyone else, and that’s what that budget reflects. So we are here today to say as Democrats, to say as independents, to say as Americans, we are here to say that no baby should go hungry so that Mark Zuckerberg can buy another Hawaiian Island.”
Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-PA):
“In this bill: the largest Medicaid cuts in American history. In this bill: the largest cuts to nutrition and food assistance in American history. […] And why? Why are they doing this? To help fund tax cuts for billionaires.”
Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-DE):
“We are sounding the alarm about this reverse Robin Hood budget, a budget that steals from the poorest in our country to give tax handouts to the wealthiest in our country, a budget that would result in the largest cut in food assistance in our country’s history, a budget that would result in the largest cut in Medicaid in American history, and the single greatest evisceration of health care ever.”
Congressman Brad Schneider (D-IL):
“Republicans are conspiring in the shadows to figure out how they can line the pockets of Trump’s super rich billionaire family and friends and make hard working families pay the bill. […] Nearly 14 million Americans will lose their health care because of this bill. We say no. Millions of children, many as young as seven, will lose their food and go hungry because of this bill. We say no.”
Everyday Americans Impacted by Republicans’ Cuts & Plans
Arielle Bernard-Jacobs – Local Parent, Caregiver, and Advocate with MomsRising:
“The drastic Medicaid cuts in the Republican budget are heartless and terrifying for families like mine. They’re also insulting. Surely the health and wellbeing of people like my mom is more important than another round of tax breaks for billionaires and giant corporations. Surely keeping hospital doors open, boosting maternal health, ensuring kids can go to their checkups, and supporting seniors and people with disabilities should always be the priority.”
Jesus Escodido – Caregiver and Member of the National Domestic Workers Alliance
“My mother was unfortunately hit by a car that caused her to go into a coma for six months. When she regained consciousness, she was told that she was no longer going to be able to walk because she had no ligaments. But through her faith and her strong willpower, she was able to push herself to go through physical therapy. And then throughout her physical therapy, she regained her ability to walk. However, even as a full time worker, she would not have been able to pay her medical expenses without the help of Medicaid.”
Reverend Camille Henderson-Edwards – Senior Executive Director for Advocacy for The United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society:
“Programs like Medicaid and food assistance are overwhelmingly popular for a reason – because we want to make sure that our neighbors have what they need when they need it. Congress should be passing legislation to help hardworking communities to lower our costs, to invest in our schools, and to ensure children are taken care of.”
Satra Taylor – Local College Student:
“I am Satra D Taylor, a proud first generation college student, Pell Grant beneficiary and current doctoral student at the University of Maryland College Park. […] This reconciliation bill is an attack on families, working-class communities, and students like me who dared to follow their dreams despite the odds stacked against them in pursuit of making a difference.”
Sabrina Valenti – Former Federal Employee Impacted by Musk’s DOGE Cuts:
“This Congress wants to appropriate money away from poor people and give tax breaks to the rich. This Congress wants to cut funding from medicaid, from health research, from foreign aid. They want to take away money from programs like mine that protect the poorest and most vulnerable Americans. They want to take away hurricane protections when we’re a week away from the start of hurricane season!”
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Families Over Billionaires was proud to host this rally alongside partners including: 50501 DC, AFSCME, Accountable.US, AFT, Americans for Tax Fairness, Care in Action, CAG, Center for American Progress Action, Center for Law and Social Policy, CHN, Color of Change, Community Catalyst, Economic Security Project Action, Fair Share America, Families USA, Indivisible, MomsRising, NDWA, NEA, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, NETWORK, Oxfam, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, SEIU, Social Security Works, Student Borrower Protection Center, and Unrig Our Economy.
Tony Carrk, Executive Director of Accountable.US/Accountable.NOW
“Donald Trump and congressional Republicans believe that they, their billionaire donors, and big corporations deserve a tax cut and they want us to foot the bill. Their scam will raise costs for 80 million people, strip health care from nearly 14 million, and take food off the tables of 3 million – all while adding to the national debt. Simply put: the Trump tax scam betrays Republicans’ promise to make life better and lower costs for everyday Americans, and we demand they be honest with their constituents.”
Lee Saunders, President of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
“Saving Medicaid and food assistance isn’t a red or blue issue; it’s about doing what’s right for our communities. These budget cuts don’t just threaten those who rely on Medicaid or food assistance. They put all of us at risk. From overcrowded hospitals to underfunded schools to short-staffed prisons, our communities will pay the price all so billionaires can get richer.”
David Kass, Executive Director of Americans for Tax Fairness
“If the billionaire-backed GOP majority thinks that they can jam through trillions in tax giveaways to the wealthy and big corporations in the dark of night without blowback from their constituents, they have another thing coming. Their ‘big beautiful bill’ will strip essential Medicaid coverage and nutrition assistance from millions of Americans while increasing our national debt by trillions—all to provide tax breaks for billionaires. The fight is far from over. We stand with thousands of grassroots advocates across the country urging all representatives to oppose this disastrous bill.”
Neera Tanden, CEO of Center for American Progress Action Fund
“This over 1000 page bill, written in darkness, written in the corner office, all these side negotiations to give more money to the rich, hurt Medicaid even more to garner the votes. It’s all being done behind closed doors, so the American people don’t see it. And why are they rushing this vote tomorrow? Because they know if people actually see what’s in this text and they actually understand what’s going to happen, everyone would be aghast. […] And that is why we are in a righteous cause to protect Americans from the con of this legislation, which is going to take for working class people in order to give to the richest amongst us.”
Wendy Chun-Hoon, President and Executive Director at Center for Law and Social Policy
“The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) is strongly opposed to Congress passing a bill that cuts health care and nutrition benefits for families to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest and corporations. The reconciliation bill cruelly attacks immigrant families and would widen our nation’s wealth gap. Lawmakers should invest in families and our communities, not billionaires.”
Mona Shah, Senior Director of Policy and Strategy for Community Catalyst
“This is nothing more than a billionaire tax scam that puts the health and economic security of millions at risk. Estimates show up to 15 million people could lose their health care—all so Congress can advance tax breaks that only benefit billionaires and big corporations. Voters want health care that’s affordable and accessible, not policies that fuel medical debt, widen inequality, and put families in harm’s way. The tax code should be used to improve health and prosperity for all—not to entrench profits at the top.”
Adam Ruben, Director of Economic Security Project Action
“This bill rolls out red carpets for the rich but red tape for working families. Republicans want to give billionaires a massive tax break funded by catastrophic cuts to healthcare and food assistance, and they want to give the rest of us less help and more bureaucracy. It’s not just unfair – it’s a deliberate slap in the face to working- and middle-class families.”
Kristen Crowell, Executive Director of Fair Share America
“This bill – which was created without public input – shows a tragic indifference to the very real struggles of everyday Americans by cutting benefits and raising costs for working people all in order to give trillions in tax cuts to the rich. It will do real damage to families and communities, which is why we’ll fight it to the very end.”
Amy Royce, Senior Counsel for Income Security at the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund
“Republicans in Congress are rushing to vote on a bill that would rob women, children, and families of their health care, food assistance, and education to pay for new, costly tax breaks to billionaires. We join the millions of women and families who are calling on Congress to vote “NO” on this big ugly bill that would raise costs for families and take away support to meet their basic needs.”
Mini Timmaraju, President & CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All
“Cutting Medicaid means worse health outcomes for parents of newborns. Approximately 12% of births covered by Medicaid are preterm. Cutting Medicaid means more maternal death.”
Will Fenton, Senior Campaigns Advisor at Oxfam America
“For too long, rigged tax policy has favored mega-corporations and an ultra-rich few while the rest of us are left to foot the bill. Now, the Trump administration and Congress are pushing to slash essential programs that millions of ordinary people rely on to pay for massive tax giveaways for billionaires, which will make things even worse. Meanwhile, U.S. billionaires continue to pay lower federal income tax rates than teachers and nurses. Oxfam is here today with a message for policymakers: it’s time to fix our broken tax system and ensure the ultra-wealthy and corporations finally pay their fair share.”
Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund
“It is indefensible how far abortion opponents, who claim to care about women and families, are willing to go to shut down health centers and take away people’s access to STI treatment, birth control, and cancer screenings. If Congressional Republicans “defund” Planned Parenthood in this bill, entire regions will suffer, and it won’t save taxpayers a dime. In fact, this ‘defunding’ provision will cost them nearly $300 million. People should not have their high-quality, affordable health care taken away from them — and lawmakers should not be putting politics ahead of people. We will link arms to fight for our right to health care and stop them in their tracks.”
Aissa Canchola Banez, Policy Director for Student Borrower Protection Center
“The rush to pass Republicans’ cruel reconciliation bill, shows the American people who these Representatives work for—billionaires, NOT working families. Instead of bringing down costs for everyday Americans, including the cost of college, this bill will gut federal financial aid programs and borrower protections that will force millions of working families struggling to repay their student loans even further into debt. The relentless attacks on students and working families to deliver trillions in tax cuts to Elon Musk and his billionaire buddies must stop. Students and families all over this country deserve better.”
Kobie Christian, Spokesperson for Unrig Our Economy
“House Republicans’ tax scam would take away health care, food, and jobs for millions of people – all to give billionaires an even bigger payday. We’re speaking out for every single person who is afraid they’ll be kicked off their coverage, every parent struggling to put food on the table for their family, and every senior forced to ration life-saving prescriptions because of this bill. It’s not just a betrayal – it’s a disgrace.”
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