Some days, it feels like the bad news out of Washington will never stop. As Congress moves ahead with its federal budget reconciliation bill, they’re pushing a plan that will gut health care and food assistance — all to bankroll another round of tax cuts for billionaires.
We’ve seen this before. But what’s happening now is even more dangerous: It’s the biggest transfer of wealth from working people to the ultra-rich in our lifetime.
If they succeed, nearly 16 million Americans will lose Medicaid. Health insurance premiums will shoot up. Seniors, veterans and kids will lose food assistance that fights hunger and poverty. Meanwhile, the wealthiest households and corporations will walk away with $1.1 trillion in tax breaks.
It’s a dark time in Washington. That’s the bleak truth. But that’s not the whole story.
Because while lawmakers are rigging the system further in favor of the ultra-rich in D.C. backrooms, everyday people are standing up around the country. They’re organizing in town halls, showing up at district offices, making Congressional phones ring off the hook and filling the streets to demand something better.
I’m spending the next three weeks on a bus — traveling from New York to California — to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them. We’re calling it the “Stop the Billionaire Giveaway” bus tour. Really, it’s just us lifting up the voices of people who have been shut out of the political conversation for too long.
This fight is personal for people. It’s about a woman trying to keep her prenatal care. A parent having to choose between groceries and rent. A veteran who served this country, now being told he’s on his own. And this work is deeply personal to me.
I wasn’t born on third base. I was raised in rural Wisconsin. After my dad died, it was Social Security survivors’ benefits that kept my family afloat. Years later, I was a single mom whose life was upended by a single dental bill that spiraled into debt until I lost my house. I know what it’s like to be in line at the grocery store, not sure if you have enough money to pay for everything in the cart. I know what it’s like to be up at night, sick with worry about that pile of bills. That’s why I take it so personally when politicians decide that families like mine should be the ones to sacrifice — again.
But I’ve also seen what happens when people decide they’ve had enough. When they raise their voices, run for school board, show up at rallies and make the phones ring off the hook in Congress. It makes a difference.
Change doesn’t come from a single headline or hearing; it comes from consistent, collective pressure. It comes from the very people who are being used as a bargaining chip speaking up and demanding change.
Here’s what gives me hope: Everywhere we go, people are standing up and coming together. We’ve seen people from across the political spectrum come together to demand Congress to vote this down.
They’re not just angry — they’re engaged. They’re not just worried — they’re organizing. I’ve spent 25 years in community organizing, and I’ve never seen this level of grassroots energy across so many places at once.
The American people are ahead of the politicians. Polls show 80% of Americans are against more tax breaks for billionaires. They know what’s fair. They know who’s paying their share and who’s not. They know this economy doesn’t work unless it works for all of us — not just the wealthiest few.
So this bus tour is about making sure the people’s voices are heard and reminding all of us that we’re not alone. There is hope.
Our activism is already having a huge impact. We are connecting and resonating. We have the momentum. The proponents of the Trump tax bill are running scared and afraid to show their faces to their constituents. We can’t let up. We have to keep turning up the heat day after day after day.
So if you’re feeling discouraged, I get it. But don’t tune out. Don’t give up. This is the time to show up. Talk to your neighbors. Call your representatives. Tell your story. Keep raising hell.
Lawmakers and their billionaire donors want us to believe we’re powerless in this rigged system. But I’ve seen the power of people coming together. I’ve lived it. And I’m here to tell you: We’re not alone, we’re not outnumbered and we are nowhere near done. The only thing powerful enough to stop another billionaire giveaway is all of us, standing together, refusing to let it happen.
If we keep showing up, keep speaking out and keep standing together, we won’t just stop this massive billionaire giveaway — we’ll build something better for our collective future.
Kristen Crowell is the executive director of Fair Share America.