Reverend William J. Barber II warned the Republicans of Congress not to raise “our dollars of taxes against us” after it was arrested last week in the United States Capitol after a prayer protector against possible cuts to Medicaid.
Barber, a civil rights shepherd and activist known for his faith -based progressive defense, was in the Capitol as part of his Moral Sermons series on Monday.
Barber told NBC News that he was praying for senators to save Medicaid in his plans for large government expenses cuts. Medicaid, the country’s largest medical care program, provides coverage for more than 71 million low -income people.
“This budget cut does not affect one side or another. When leaving Covid, we all knew that Covid did not kill people because they were black, black, republican or democrat,” said Barber, who also contributes to MSNBC. He added that the virus “did not discriminate, nor our medical attention.”
Barber has also criticized for a long time what he described as the “extremist policies” of President Donald Trump.
“We recognize that if Trump were out of office, these policies would still be pushed by the majority,” said Barber. “We have to focus greatly on policies and persecute them. Not the individual.”
In recent weeks, Republicans have presented plans to strip the law of health care at a low price as part of an expense cut. The Energy and Commerce Committee of the House of Representatives, which Supervises Medicaid, has the task of reducing $ 880 billion in expenses. Democrats in the camera and progressive groups argue that the Republican party will have to make drastic cuts to Medicaid to meet the threshold.
The president of the Committee, Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., Said that cuts will allow better medical care options. Republicans also said the cuts are aimed at preventing Medicaid abuse, although the details are still clear.
The Congress has weeks to approve a radical budget that supports Trump’s agenda. Republicans have said they aim to reduce fraud and federal spending waste, but details have been minimal so far.
Republicans are weighing new work requirements for adults with the body looking for Medicaid and rules to prevent non -citizens from receiving benefits.
“People are dying of poverty every day,” said Barber. “This is a crisis of civilization. This is a crisis of democracy. It is not about being black or black, left or right. It is about life and death.”
Poverty contributed to the death of approximately 183,000 people in the United States in 2019, according to a study by David Brady, professor at the School of Public Policies at the University of Southern California. Limited access to medical care, poor nutrition and exposure to environmental risks contribute to higher rates of disease and premature death between low -income communities.
Highlighting these disparities is part of the Barber’s Poor People campaign, a broader effort to press for economic equality that began with the protests during Trump’s first mandate in office.
“When we talk to poor and low wages on why they don’t vote, the number 1 reason is that nobody talks to them,” he said. “Conversations about the center of poverty, the middle and rich class. We have to have a change of our language and our approach.”
In a letter sent to the leaders of the Congress on both sides of the hall last week, the violation reparators, Barber’s social justice organization, said that the black and Latin communities would probably endure the worst part of the impact of Medicaid’s cuts.
Barber and others have regularly organized the moral protests on Monday for more than a decade. Barber said that hundreds of followers arrived at the protest in the Capitol last week, but that they were largely denied the entrance to the building. He and a smaller group that obtained access to the roundabout proceeded with a silent prayer until the police intervened. Barber and Fe Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Steven Swayne leaders were arrested and accused of overcrowding, obstruction and discomfort.
The Capitol Police told NBC News that the group also violated federal regulations that prohibit demonstrations, including prayer, in Congress buildings. The arrests resulted in tickets.
In support of Barber, the violation reparators announced that “the clergy and the impacted people and defenders will go to the United States Capitol to deliver a written moral analysis carried out by the reparators and the Institute of Policy Studies” and that they will return to the Capitol of the United States and the Supreme Court every month until a change is made in favor of the affected millions.
