May 19, 2025

While the House leadership continues to fight amongst themselves this week, the stance of their constituents has not wavered: gutting Medicaid and SNAP just to fund tax breaks for billionaires is unacceptable.

In opinion pieces across states, constituents have been consistent and clear in their call for lawmakers to put families over billionaires. Their presence in the local opinion pages from the start is proof that voters are watching to see who their lawmakers choose to protect, and they are committed to holding accountable any Representative who fails this test of leadership.

Check out the highlights:

VIEW FROM THE STATES: OP-ED EDITION

New Jersey: Star Ledger - Medicaid cuts will devastate N.J. Our GOP congressmen are holding the knife

“In a closely divided Congress, the votes of Reps. Van Drew, Smith, and Kean could decide the fate of this budget. They have the power — and the responsibility — to reject these cuts and stand up for New Jersey. Instead, they’re choosing to support policies that would result in lost lives, shuttered hospitals, and even higher state and local taxes.”

New York: LoHud.com - Republicans in Congress — like NY's Mike Lawler — think Medicaid doesn’t matter

“Lawler wants to put millionaires over Medicaid — and slap the 7.7 million New Yorkers (nearly 40% of the entire state) who rely on Medicaid to get the care they need square in the face.”

Kentucky: Lexington Herald Ledger - Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ would hurt Kentuckians to fund tax cuts for the wealthy

“Taken as a whole, the House plan is a recipe for greater hardship and the redistribution of wealth from hard-working Kentuckians and their kids to the pockets of the richest people in our country.”

Wisconsin: The Cap Times - Will Van Orden support the needy or the wealthy?

“Will Congressman Van Orden drink the Republican Kool-Aid and convince himself that cutting $230 billion from needy families is a good option for funding tax cuts for those high income Americans who already have too much? Or will he listen to his constituents, and remember the times when his family was in need? A brave legislator would break with the Republican policy to put more money in the pockets of the rich while children go hungry.”

Arizona: Arizona Capitol Times - An Open Letter to Congressman Ciscomani

“Congressman, I know this won’t be an easy vote. Leadership means making tough choices. Your duty is to the people who trust you to lead. Medicaid is a lifeline for families, workers and businesses in your district. Cutting it would destabilize our economy, cripple our health care system, and put lives at risk. This isn’t hyperbole, this is the reality of the situation.”

Colorado: The Colorado Sun - Health care for millions of Coloradans would be in jeopardy if Congress makes cuts to support tax breaks for ultrawealthy

“Congress must put the needs of everyday Americans first, not the greed of the ultrawealthy. Protect affordable health care and social programs, and stand with your constituents.”

Pennsylvania: The Keystone - My son relies on Medicaid for round-the-clock care. Republicans want to cut it.

“We are not wealthy – like most families in this country today, we’re just trying to make it day-to-day. But our future is uncertain, because President Trump and Republicans in Congress are prioritizing the interests of their billionaire friends over the basic needs of kids like Will.… Frankly, it’s baffling to me how any elected leader could get these priorities so backwards.”

Michigan: The News Herald - Tax-exempt municipal bonds an essential funding tool for governments, schools

“While the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provides some tax relief for some taxpayers, those savings do not balance the increase in costs that all taxpayers will see at the local level from new taxes on municipal bonds. Protecting the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds is critical for investors, essential for local communities, and foundational to the integrity of our country’s infrastructure.”

Iowa: Bleeding Heartland - Tax breaks for the wealthy are far more wasteful than Medicaid

“While Iowa’s members of Congress claim that concerns about waste and abuse are behind the efforts to slash Medicaid, the truth is it is far more wasteful to pile trillions more in tax breaks to the wealthy than to invest in health care for seniors, working families, and kids.”

New Hampshire: Concord Monitor - The myth of “runaway federal spending”

“In the upside-down world of Republican politics, taxes for the wealthy will be cut again, and Republicans will blame everyone but themselves when the deficit increases.”

Tennessee: Chattanooga Times Free Press - There’s plenty of room to boost taxes on the wealthy

“This is the most anti-worker tax policy the United States has ever seen. In effect, the government is penalizing the people left behind in the last half-century.”

Illinois: Heartland Signal - Americans know a bad deal when they see it. Now’s the time to offer an alternative vision

“This is our opportunity to reject the anti-tax, anti-public investment agenda that drags most of us down, and instead, start to make the rich and big corporations pay their fair share and make more investments in our collective futures. We must seize it.”

###

Contact: Kristin Sosanie (kristin@fairshareusa.org) or Ashley Woolheater (ashley@fairshareusa.org)

Fair Share America supports the movement in the states and nationally to make wealthy individuals and the most profitable corporations pay what they owe so that all of us can thrive. We are a groundbreaking, federal and multistate initiative focused on building long-term civic engagement and political power to deliver lasting tax justice. Follow us on Bluesky, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.