The Coalition Against Right-Wing Extremism (C.A.R.E.) concluded a four-city tour through North Carolina with a series of town halls in Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, and Asheville. Throughout the tour, North Carolinians discussed how the federal spending bill would impact their lives and local communities.
The federal bill, backed by the Trump administration and passed by his supporters in Congress, makes one of the largest transitions of wealth from the poor to the rich. According to a non-partisan analysis from the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation, the bill gives billionaires and large corporations a historic tax break, and takes health insurance coverage away from over 15 million Americans.
For North Carolina, the cuts proposed in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act are projected to erase $32 billion in Medicaid funding over the next decade, along with food assistance, funding for public schools, and clean energy tax credits.
According to the group’s press release, the “Broken Budget Town Hall” Tour was an opportunity to bring North Carolinians together to hold their state representatives accountable for supporting a “broken” federal budget.
Although invited, state congressional members were not in attendance; however, the coalition featured cardboard cutouts of U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), U.S. Representatives Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), and Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.)-all of whom voted in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
A cardboard cutout of Sen. Budd was the target of questions and concerns at the tour’s stop in Charlotte, where many North Carolinians shared their frustrations around the impending cuts to critical care.
One Charlotte attendee shared her experience of traveling to Washington, D.C., during the summer to talk with her state representatives, Senators Thom Tillis, Budd, and U.S. Rep. Tim Moore. None of which accepted her request.
“None of them would stand in my face and explain their choices. None of them would look in the eyes of my children and say, this is why, this is what, this is how you are going to suffer because of the choices I am making.”
A Charlotte educator at the first town hall shared his concern over the drastic education cuts, which will have a lasting impact on North Carolina public schools.
“I’ve taught Title I for the last 7 years. These children— they need books, they need breakfast in the morning, and they need ASEP programs that lead them in education….the cuts to education will harm our children.”
In Greensboro, school librarian, mom, and Guilford County union leader, Joanna Pendleton, highlighted how cutting federal funding will take away resources from the state’s most vulnerable students.
“For too long, our state legislators, our federal legislators have been defunding and dismantling our public schools. Our federal funding in our schools takes care of things like Title I funds, which go towards our lower socioeconomic schools, so that we can provide equitable services and staffing for all students, and a lot of that federal funding also funds EC or Exceptional Children programs for students with special needs,” stated Pendleton.
“If we have our federal funding at risk, we are risking the loss of programs for our most vulnerable students in our public schools”.
In Raleigh, UNC Public Health graduate students spoke about how the federal bill will restrict access to health care for many North Carolinians, particuarly for those living in rural communities.
“Rural residents are disproportionately on Medicaid. This insane slashing of Medicaid will rob health care for so many of the people living in those areas. Rural hospitals are highly likely to be closed,” stated Mabeki Mvuendy, a Master of Public Health Policy and Management student at UNC.
“In Watagua County, for example, we only have one hospital, so imagine the compounding effects of that hospital being closed. That means other hospitals will have increased wait times—that means people will lack access and lose providers.”
For Dr. Angelean Hendrix, the cuts to Medicaid and reproductive health care access hit close to home, as she has experienced several medical emergencies throughout her life.
Both Medicaid coverage and reproductive health care services provided by Planned Parenthood gave her the ability to continue her life and her studies in developing treatments for cancer, osteoarthritis, immunotherapy, and infertility.
“Where are the scientists of the next generation gonna come from if we do not have the safety nets to take care of their health, to take care of their reproductive rights? I’m here to tell our representatives who voted for this bill, you need to protect the families in this country who are voting for you,” stated Dr. Hendrix, in front of the Raleigh audience.
“Until we get a health care system that protects everybody, we have to have these safeguards in place because corporations fail. Marriages fail. Life happens. So please help all of the women out there like me, and the next generation of doctors, scientists, and leaders”. If you want more information about how the federal bill will impact the state, go to the House Budget Committee’s microsite, which contains information about health care and food assistance specific to your community: Trump’s Big Ugly Law.
