Fair Share America, Unrig Our Economy, & Progress MO Brought the 14-State National Campaign to Missouri to Highlight the Harmful Impacts of the New Federal Budget + Tax Law

“[Senator Hawley] has gotten good at saying one thing and doing another, and we’re going to keep calling him out.” - Kristen Crowell, Fair Share America Executive Director

Kansas City, Missouri (July 8, 2025)  – Yesterday, just days after Republicans voted for and Donald Trump signed into law the sweeping reconciliation bill, Kansas City residents gathered to speak out in opposition to the harmful new law as part of the “Stop the Billionaire Giveaway” national bus tour by Fair Share America and Unrig our Economy, at an event hosted with the organization Progress MO.

The 45-foot tour bus, wrapped in a giant trillion-dollar bill, made its 22nd stop of the tour today in Kansas City with the message that people will not forget how their elected leaders in Congress voted to give trillions of their tax dollars away to the billionaire class, while cutting essential lifelines like Medicaid and food assistance.

Kristen Crowell, Executive Director of Fair Share America, took aim at Missouri Senator Josh Hawley for vocally opposing the bill’s cuts to Medicaid before turning around and voting for the legislation [Watch the Video]: 

“Now, more than ever, we are standing shoulder to shoulder, coast to coast to say, ‘never again.’ Never again will we let the billionaires hijack our politics…take our money and run for the hills, when we know folks at home, right now, depend on all of us to stand together. We’re going to make sure Senator Hawley stays on the run. He’s gotten good at saying one thing and doing another, and we’re going to keep calling him out.

Claire Cook-Callen, Executive Director of Progress Missouri, opened the event by calling out the injustice of the new law and the stakes for Missouri families:

“We are here today because last week, Congress passed the biggest wealth transfer from working class people to the ultra-rich in history. We are going to see historic cuts to Medicaid, to SNAP benefits, and to other essential programs, all so billionaires can buy another yacht. I don't know about you, but this is not the America that I stand for. This is not the Missouri that I have come to fight for.”

Catherine Stewart, a certified nurse aid (CNA) and member of SEIU Healthcare Missouri, urged lawmakers to answer for their actions:

“Do you understand that some of these people cannot do for themselves? That these buildings, these facilities, are funded by Medicaid? Medicaid is the heart of our city, our state, our country. And until we get an explanation for why they gutted it—and what they plan to do now—we’re not backing off. We’re going to keep our city going, our hospitals going, because we win. And we’ll continue to do so.” 

Dr. James Fleming, a psychiatrist with the Committee to Protect Health Care, pointed to the human costs of gutting Medicaid:

“When you have the biggest giveaway to people who don’t need tax cuts—when you take from the poor and needy and give to the rich and greedy—that’s a problem. Medicaid is how we care for the elderly, the disabled, and kids with serious mental health needs. If it disappears, we’re talking about people losing everything, including their lives. So sure, we can vent and grieve—but we’re not going to sit still. We’re sending Congress the bill.”

Hartzell Gray, a community organizer and radio host, called the bill a “big, brutal betrayal” of working people:

“Last week should not have been so easy to sentence our brothers and sisters to death. This isn’t just bad policy—it’s a war on the working class. This big, brutal betrayal takes away everything we fought for. Our elders, our children, our neighbors—they all deserve better. And we won’t stop until they get it.”

Our event partners included: Progress MO, SEIU Healthcare Missouri, Committee to Protect Health Care, and the Missouri Budget Project.

Follow the “Stop the Billionaire Giveaway” bus online and on social media: @FairShare_USA on X and @FairShareAmerica (FB, IG, BS, Threads, TikTok). 

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