What The Hell America!

To protect millions from devastating cuts, we must make our voices impossible to ignore.

House Republicans just passed a “big, beautiful” budget bill that would devastate basic needs programs for the most vulnerable Americans in order to pay for tax breaks for the rich. It now heads to the Senate, where Republicans aim to pass a final version by July 4.

They continue to claim their proposed Medicaid and SNAP cuts are necessary to “fix” broken systems. They argue that these cuts won’t affect vulnerable families—that the people who rely on these programs won’t be harmed. But that claim is dangerously misleading. 

In reality, these cuts will devastate the lives of millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid and SNAP for basic survival. These programs provide vital care, food and service to disabled adults, seniors, children, working families and rural communities. The cuts proposed by Republicans in Congress would slash life-saving benefits and rip away basic services from the people who rely on them most. 

During a recent committee markup on the Hill, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) read aloud from the letter of Taylor Johnson, a Michigan mother whose 6-year-old son has Down syndrome and relies on Medicaid for speech and physical therapy. As Johnson and her son stood in the committee room, their presence brought powerful emotional weight to the hearing.

In response, Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas dismissed concerns that families like hers would be impacted by the proposed Medicaid cuts. The moment generated national media attention, exposing the deep disconnect between lawmakers and the families their decisions affect. 

But Crenshaw’s claims simply aren’t true.

Medicaid cuts would force states to eliminate services like those Taylor Johnson’s son relies on, leading to over 10 million people losing coverage—including 3.5 million children, 1.6 million seniors and 2.3 million adults with disabilities. These cuts would result in more than 34,000 avoidable deaths per year, with disproportionate impacts in rural and low-income communities across the country.

Meanwhile, cuts to the largest federal food assistance program, SNAP, would jeopardize the health of over 42 million Americans who rely on it.  

The real power in Johnson’s story and stories like hers is that they humanize the impact of these policies. Thanks to voices like hers, we can understand that these aren’t just numbers being debated on Capitol Hill—these politicians’ decisions could upend the lives of millions of families, children and seniors. In this way, strategic storytelling can show lawmakers what their decisions truly mean for the Americans they’re paid to represent. 

As everyday Americans concerned about how these drastic cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP will impact our families, we should be elevating more stories like Taylor Johnson’s—stories from the communities who stand to lose the most if these budget cuts are rammed through Congress. 

For example, single mothers who rely on SNAP to keep food on the table are at grave risk. Angelica Garcia is a single mom from Tucson, Ariz., raising three kids on her own. Her family relies on both Medicaid and food stamps to get by. Because the cost of basic living—rent, food, gas—is so steep, she said if she loses access to these programs, she doesn’t know if her kids would survive.

Disabled adults who rely on home- and community-based services also have much to lose from these budget cuts.

When a horrific swimming accident left him quadriplegic during his freshman year in college, Alex Watters from Sioux City, Iowa, said his life changed permanently. Right now, Medicaid pays for his home care and therapy. If these cuts are passed, his only alternative will be to move into a nursing home at 38 years old. 

The American Stories We Need to Tell

To make an impact, we must find effective, unique ways to share stories like Taylor Johnson’s, Alex Watters’ and Angelica Garcia’s.

Presenting stories in government hearing rooms is one powerful way to break through political noise. Whether it’s Rep. Dingell reading Johnson’s letter aloud while she and her son stood in the room, or Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) phoning a constituent and letting them share their story live during that same committee hearing, these moments can grab lawmakers’ attention, invite responses and generate media coverage well beyond D.C. First-person narratives instill emotional depth and authenticity into otherwise stuffy meetings, moving politicians and the public alike.

Participating in interviews with local media is another powerful storytelling tool in legislative fights like these, enabling everyday Americans to publicly name their members of Congress—creating impactful clips that amplify pressure from local constituents.

Writing letters to the editor and op-eds offer another effective way to call out representatives by name and shape public discourse.

Digital content, such as interviews with creators or selfie videos, helps inform wider audiences across the country—an especially crucial tactic as this fight gains momentum both locally and nationally.

Additionally, repurposing tweets as screenshot graphics performs particularly well on social media, offering a persuasive and highly shareable format to spread key messages. 

We have around two months to stop this bill from becoming law. As it moves to the Senate, we must continue building and amplifying platforms that let constituent voices permeate government decision-making—whether that takes place in the halls of Congress, via news feeds or in the inboxes of their representatives. Stories alone won’t stop bad policy. But they can challenge indifference, mobilize public pressure and drive home the real cost of cutting life-saving programs for American families.

Editor’s note: Have a story to tell about how cuts to healthcare or food aid would affect you or your community? We want to hear from you. Pitch your story to Ms. as an op-ed; learn more at msmagazine.com/submissions.