At a rally downtown on Saturday, some 150 individuals voiced their opposition to government cuts to Medicaid, according to a union spokesperson.
Families First National Day of Action protesters called for Congress to reverse the cuts and hold billionaires responsible. There were more than 200 events planned nationwide, including the one in San Diego.
Renee Salda, a representative of United Healthcare Workers and the Service Employees International Union, stated that working families must come first. Due to a federal budget that puts corporate profits ahead of people, this situation is statewide and becoming worse.
According to Salda, healthcare professionals discussed how 315 layoffs have already occurred at Sharp HealthCare as a result of these changes, impacting hundreds of families. According to Saldana, those who are still employed are overworked and endanger patient care.
According to a business statement, Sharp HealthCare announced the changes on June 30 and attributed them to the significant shift in the economy during the previous five years.
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Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego, County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, former state senator Toni Atkins, and Bridgette Browning of the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council were among the speakers at the event on Saturday, which took place at Waterfront Park, outside the San Diego County Administration Building.
On a party-line vote earlier this month, the Republican-controlled Congress passed H.R. 1, which included significant cuts to a number of programs, including Medicaid. On July 4, President Donald Trump subsequently signed the budget into law.
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The bill, which cuts spending, permanently lowers taxes for families and job creators, secures the border, unleashes American energy dominance, restores peace through strength, and makes government more effective and efficient for all Americans, was characterized as nation-shaping legislation by House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, in late May.
However, rally organizers on Saturday referred to the cuts as the outcome of Congress’s harsh measures. They were worried about cuts to food aid, an increase in financing for immigration enforcement, and the defunding of healthcare for 17 million Americans.
Among the partners are Planned Parenthood, MomsRising, Caring Across Generations, MoveOn, SEIU, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and Community Change Action.
