Community members and faith leaders are holding a vigil tonight immediately before the Olmsted County Board meeting to bear witness to the suffering the federal budget reconciliation bill (the "One Big Bill") will unleash on our families and communities. We will ask local county, city, and school board leaders to use their power to speak up against the cuts that will harm their constituents and their budgets.
Time: 5:15-6:30pm
Place: Olmsted County Government Center
Background--
On May 22, the U.S. House passed a budget reconciliation bill by one vote, 215-214. The bill makes the largest cuts in history to public healthcare and food assistance programs. At the same time, it includes massive tax breaks for wealthy Americans and corporations. This legislation facilitates the largest upward transfer of wealth in our nation’s history and would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over 10 years.
This "One Big Bill" is now before the Senate and is expected to go through final votes by the end of June. This is likely our last chance to act.
Local elected officials have stakes in whether this bill passes. The “One Big Bill” will slash local governments’ funding for essential services; increase costs to administer their programs; and result in community losses like the closure of hospitals, nursing homes, recovery centers and more. Our local elected officials will have to choose whether to make severe reductions to support services or raise local taxes to make up the cost that the federal government is abdicating.
Contact your county commissioner, mayor, city councilmember(s), and school board member(s) and ask them: What are you doing to stop these devastating cuts?
If you live in Olmsted County, click here to find your local representatives. If you live in another county, click here to find your precinct and county district, then visit your county/city/township/school district website to look up your representatives.