On May 6, advocates gathered at Bicentennial Plaza in downtown Raleigh to call on state representatives in Congress to center the needs of North Carolinians amid federal budget cuts.
The event titled, “Dock the Greed” was organized by the Coalition Against Right-Wing Extremism (C.A.R.E.) in partnership with Oxfam America to protest the Trump administration’s harmful federal cuts, which could be devastating for working-class North Carolinians, according to the group’s press release.
“Congressional leaders and the new administration are putting profits and power ahead of the people’s priorities,” stated Alexandra Forter Sirota, Executive Director of NC Budget & Tax Center, during the press conference. “Current federal budget proposals that Republicans in Congress and in the NC delegation support would mean the top 1% in NC get $1.9 billion in tax cuts while millions lose health care and food assistance.”
“Tax cuts for the rich and profitable corporations isn’t an economic strategy, it’s a
boondoggle that fails to deliver the economic progress we need to be well in every
community of the state,” Forter Sirota added.
The proposed budget that is advancing in Congress would rip health care away from millions and raise costs for everyday Americans while handing out over $5 trillion in tax breaks to corporations.
According to some estimates, the proposed budget plan would increase the cost of household utility bills, gasoline, medical bills, and consumer goods. Gasoline alone could jump up to 37 cents per gallon in 2035.
The proposed budget also calls for slashes in funding for education, Social Security, and public health. Programs that feed schoolchildren, along with funding for cancer screenings and disaster relief for western NC communities, will also be impacted.
For months, communities across the United States have voiced their concerns and opposition towards billionaire Elon Musk and the Trump administration’s purging of crucial programs, funding, and forcing thousands of federal employees out of work.
Advocates in North Carolina, among other states, have condemned Republican representatives for supporting the administration’s efforts that are impacting small businesses and working-class families.
Organizations such as C.A.R.E. have called out Republican leaders like Senator Thom Tillis, who have emboldened the administration repeatedly–voting in favor of every single one of Trump’s controversial cabinet nominees, and vowing to move Trump’s tax plan through Congress.
“Time and again, Senator Tillis has shown he’ll fall in line with whatever Donald Trump demands. That’s not leadership. That’s submission. If Trump tells him to vote for billionaire tax breaks at the expense of good-paying jobs and lowering bills for working families, we know how Tillis will vote,” stated Dan Crawford, Director of Governmental Relations for the NC League of Conservation Voters.
“North Carolina deserves better. We deserve a Senator who will fight for clean water, healthy air, and a competitive, sustainable economy that works for everyone – not just the billionaires. That’s not Teetering Tom Tillis. It’s time for accountability. And it’s time for change.”
