Authoritarianism is putting everything we value in danger
The future of all that we cherish is on the line and we—all of us—have to fight like hell to protect democracy, human decency, and a livable planet. Our reporters are working overtime to cover the onslaught of horrors as well as the resistance movements rising up to fight back. We must be prepared to do battle over the long haul. Will you donate to our Mid-Year Campaign to keep the progressive, nonprofit journalism of Common Dreams alive?
Everything we care about is in danger, and Common Dreams is fighting back by exposing their lies and corruption and lifting up the voices of those working to stop them. If you believe in our work, we need you now more than ever. Your gift of any amount helps support our independent and fiercely unafraid journalism.
Authoritarianism is putting everything we value in danger
As the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" made its way to the U.S. Senate Monday, with lawmakers preparing to consider cuts to Medicaid and food assistance and an extension of tax cuts for the rich, one of the nation's top anti-poverty campaigners warned that the proposed budget "is not just bad policy, it is sin."
Rev. William J. Barber II led a "Moral Monday" rally and march through Washington, D.C. to the U.S. Capitol, where he and other advocates spoke out against the proposal that was narrowly passed by the House last month and would "rob the poor, starve children, and deny care to the sick in order to line the pockets of the wealthy."
"We will not stand by while it preys on the most vulnerable," said Barber.
Along with the Institute for Policy Studies and the Economic Policy Institute, Barber's organization, Repairers of the Breach, re-released an earlier report Monday on the proposed budget with additional information about communities that would be impacted if the budget is passed into law.
The budget, said Repairers of the Breach, would result in:
A loss of health insurance for an estimated 8.6 million Medicaid enrollees, due to new work requirements that would penalize the minority of beneficiaries who don't work—those who attend school, care for family members, or have a disability;
A loss of coverage for an additional 4 million people whose tax credits would expire;
The end of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for 11 million people who would be subject to work requirements or whose states would be forced to cut back on aid;
The loss of the child tax credit for 4.5 million children whose parents don't have Social Security numbers; and
More than $100 billion for border wall construction, new immigration detention centers, and new investments in community arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
At the rally, Barber spoke about how members of the House voted for a budget that could directly harm hundreds of thousands of their constituents.
"They don't want us to talk about the fact that the largest portion of Medicaid enrollees are families with incomes below $40,000," said Barber. "These are working poor people... In West Virginia for instance, 28% of the entire population is covered by Medicaid. Over 500,000 [people]. And yet every Republican from West Virginia voted to cut. In Ohio, 26% of the people are covered by Medicaid. That's where [Vice President JD] Vance is from... We're talking about children and pregnant women, and adults and people with disabilities."
Repairers of the Breach said it would send delegations into the Senate office buildings to hand senators a petition calling on them to oppose the "immoral cuts" in the proposed budget.
Republicans in the Senate can only afford to lose three votes. Lawmakers including Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have suggested major changes will need to be made to the House-passed bill in order for it to be approved—with the senators expressing concern more for the federal deficit than the well-being of millions of Americans who would lose healthcare and food assistance.
"I think there are four of us at this point, and I would be very surprised if the bill at least is not modified in a good direction," Paul told CBS News on Sunday.
Barber told rally-goers on Monday: "We have to stop believing when they say something's over."
"It ain't over until it's over," he said, "and it's not over until all of us have spoken."
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support.
Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights.
Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive.
Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most.
Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community.
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" made its way to the U.S. Senate Monday, with lawmakers preparing to consider cuts to Medicaid and food assistance and an extension of tax cuts for the rich, one of the nation's top anti-poverty campaigners warned that the proposed budget "is not just bad policy, it is sin."
Rev. William J. Barber II led a "Moral Monday" rally and march through Washington, D.C. to the U.S. Capitol, where he and other advocates spoke out against the proposal that was narrowly passed by the House last month and would "rob the poor, starve children, and deny care to the sick in order to line the pockets of the wealthy."
"We will not stand by while it preys on the most vulnerable," said Barber.
Along with the Institute for Policy Studies and the Economic Policy Institute, Barber's organization, Repairers of the Breach, re-released an earlier report Monday on the proposed budget with additional information about communities that would be impacted if the budget is passed into law.
The budget, said Repairers of the Breach, would result in:
A loss of health insurance for an estimated 8.6 million Medicaid enrollees, due to new work requirements that would penalize the minority of beneficiaries who don't work—those who attend school, care for family members, or have a disability;
A loss of coverage for an additional 4 million people whose tax credits would expire;
The end of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for 11 million people who would be subject to work requirements or whose states would be forced to cut back on aid;
The loss of the child tax credit for 4.5 million children whose parents don't have Social Security numbers; and
More than $100 billion for border wall construction, new immigration detention centers, and new investments in community arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
At the rally, Barber spoke about how members of the House voted for a budget that could directly harm hundreds of thousands of their constituents.
"They don't want us to talk about the fact that the largest portion of Medicaid enrollees are families with incomes below $40,000," said Barber. "These are working poor people... In West Virginia for instance, 28% of the entire population is covered by Medicaid. Over 500,000 [people]. And yet every Republican from West Virginia voted to cut. In Ohio, 26% of the people are covered by Medicaid. That's where [Vice President JD] Vance is from... We're talking about children and pregnant women, and adults and people with disabilities."
Repairers of the Breach said it would send delegations into the Senate office buildings to hand senators a petition calling on them to oppose the "immoral cuts" in the proposed budget.
Republicans in the Senate can only afford to lose three votes. Lawmakers including Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have suggested major changes will need to be made to the House-passed bill in order for it to be approved—with the senators expressing concern more for the federal deficit than the well-being of millions of Americans who would lose healthcare and food assistance.
"I think there are four of us at this point, and I would be very surprised if the bill at least is not modified in a good direction," Paul told CBS News on Sunday.
Barber told rally-goers on Monday: "We have to stop believing when they say something's over."
"It ain't over until it's over," he said, "and it's not over until all of us have spoken."
As the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" made its way to the U.S. Senate Monday, with lawmakers preparing to consider cuts to Medicaid and food assistance and an extension of tax cuts for the rich, one of the nation's top anti-poverty campaigners warned that the proposed budget "is not just bad policy, it is sin."
Rev. William J. Barber II led a "Moral Monday" rally and march through Washington, D.C. to the U.S. Capitol, where he and other advocates spoke out against the proposal that was narrowly passed by the House last month and would "rob the poor, starve children, and deny care to the sick in order to line the pockets of the wealthy."
"We will not stand by while it preys on the most vulnerable," said Barber.
Along with the Institute for Policy Studies and the Economic Policy Institute, Barber's organization, Repairers of the Breach, re-released an earlier report Monday on the proposed budget with additional information about communities that would be impacted if the budget is passed into law.
The budget, said Repairers of the Breach, would result in:
A loss of health insurance for an estimated 8.6 million Medicaid enrollees, due to new work requirements that would penalize the minority of beneficiaries who don't work—those who attend school, care for family members, or have a disability;
A loss of coverage for an additional 4 million people whose tax credits would expire;
The end of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for 11 million people who would be subject to work requirements or whose states would be forced to cut back on aid;
The loss of the child tax credit for 4.5 million children whose parents don't have Social Security numbers; and
More than $100 billion for border wall construction, new immigration detention centers, and new investments in community arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
At the rally, Barber spoke about how members of the House voted for a budget that could directly harm hundreds of thousands of their constituents.
"They don't want us to talk about the fact that the largest portion of Medicaid enrollees are families with incomes below $40,000," said Barber. "These are working poor people... In West Virginia for instance, 28% of the entire population is covered by Medicaid. Over 500,000 [people]. And yet every Republican from West Virginia voted to cut. In Ohio, 26% of the people are covered by Medicaid. That's where [Vice President JD] Vance is from... We're talking about children and pregnant women, and adults and people with disabilities."
Repairers of the Breach said it would send delegations into the Senate office buildings to hand senators a petition calling on them to oppose the "immoral cuts" in the proposed budget.
Republicans in the Senate can only afford to lose three votes. Lawmakers including Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have suggested major changes will need to be made to the House-passed bill in order for it to be approved—with the senators expressing concern more for the federal deficit than the well-being of millions of Americans who would lose healthcare and food assistance.
"I think there are four of us at this point, and I would be very surprised if the bill at least is not modified in a good direction," Paul told CBS News on Sunday.
Barber told rally-goers on Monday: "We have to stop believing when they say something's over."
"It ain't over until it's over," he said, "and it's not over until all of us have spoken."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.