WASHINGTON, D.C. ‒ Carrying caskets covered with statistics of how many people would lose Medicaid and SNAP in each state if the budget bill currently under negotiation is signed into law, about 25 faith leaders and religious believers blocked the street outside the US Capitol to pray.
A few minutes later, Capitol Police arrested all of them, ending what had been a 250-person protest.
Inside the Capitol, the Senate prepared to vote on sweeping bill that makes tax cuts, slashes Medicaid and SNAP benefits and scales up border security.
The protesters chanted: “You will not kill us. And our people. Without a fight.” They took turns crowding into patches of shade and passing out mini bottles of water and mandarin oranges in the nearly 90 degree heat.
Most were religious leaders in full vestments, representing Catholics, Episcopalians, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Jews, Muslims and the United Church of Christ. Other protesters included small children, people in wheelchairs and people with signs explaining why they need Medicaid.
Bishop William J. Barber, II, told USA TODAY in an interview before the protest that religious leaders have an obligation to raise a “serious moral dissent” to the cuts in the bill.
“This is moral work, holy work. We would be doing less than our calling if we didn’t demonstrate and stand up there,” Barber said. “We are supposed to be in the public square speaking up for the poor and the least of these. We are supposed to say to the nation: ‘how you treat the least of these is how you are going to be judged.'”
The Rev. Cindy Kohlmann, 51, of Wilmington, Delaware, of the Presbyterian USA Church said she thinks Congress’ spending bill is immoral. One in five people in her community relies on Medicaid, she said.
“This is exactly the wrong way to be the country that leads the world. We need to lift from the bottom so everybody rises and this bill is meant to kill our neighbors,” Kohlmann said. “If this bill passes, one in five of my neighbors is in danger of death, and that’s not an overstatement. It’s not an exaggeration.”
What they are protesting
Cars honked as people took turns speaking next to a stack of caskets about what the proposed cuts to Medicaid and food stamp benefits will mean for them.
Republicans have said the cuts are necessary because the programs have become too large, are used by people who don’t need them and that they are full of waste, fraud and abuse.
Nationwide, between 12 million and 20 million people could lose Medicaid under deep cuts to the health insurance program proposed by Senate Republicans, according to two estimates. Medicaid provides health insurance to more than 71 million low-income Americans, including 40% of children and 60% of nursing home residents.
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The bill also includes new requirements in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps, which provides food assistance to around 42 million Americans, and shifts more of the cost to states.
Lisa Hayes, 67, of Fairfax, Virginia held up part of a sign that read Feed Our Kids! with others from her Unitarian Universalist church.
“We believe in justice for all. We’re here today to tell them this bill isn’t right. It hurts working people,” she said.
Moral Monday
Moral Monday protests began in 2013 in North Carolina by Barber and spread to other states as an effort by religious leaders of all faiths to push back on legislative efforts to cut the social safety net.
“I just hope that we can be heard, that Americans know that we are standing here together and many, many of us are risking arrest to protect the majority of people in these country,” said Rabbi David Shneyer of Rockville, Maryland.
The group next meets in Washington for a protest outside the Supreme Court on August 4 and September 8.
Barber said they are prepared for the long haul if the bill passes.
“The very people they make mad today are going to be the voting power of tomorrow,” he said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Faith leaders arrested while protesting GOP mega bill
