Elderly Los Angeles residents gathered on May 29 in front of the Social Security Office in the cultural and political heart of Black Los Angeles, Leimert Park, to protest “The One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Presented by President Donald Trump’s administration and officially known as the Big Beautiful Bill Act, this legislation comprises a broad range of federal spending cuts and tax reforms. The bill is considered an omnibus because it contains various diverse sections within a single document. Bills like this can be overwhelming to interpret because they are so long.
The bill proposes $800 billion in cuts to Medicaid over the next 10 years. There would also be a mandate requiring 20 hours of weekly community service to be eligible for Medicaid for those ages 19-64. The legislation also includes a $300 billion cut to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Medicare is also expected to endure a cut of $500 billion between 2027 and 2034.
Representatives from community-based organizations held the demonstration and press conference attended by news outlets such as ABC and Spectrum, among others. The organizers included the South Los Angeles Clergy for Public Accountability, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Southern California Chapter, the NAACP – L.A. Chapter, and the Raising Canes movement.
The Rev. Dr. Norman S. Johnson, senior pastor of First New Christian Fellowship Baptist Church, began the press conference by saying, “What’s affected and who’s affected: low-income, working families, single mothers, elderly individuals, fixed incomes, people with disabilities, children in poverty.
“What we’re saying is that this bill pushes millions further into poverty. It increases hunger, homelessness, and preventable death. It targets the most vulnerable while protecting the wealth of those who will yield to corporate interests.”
When asked how to describe this bill to those who may not understand what’s going on, Johnson told the L.A. Sentinel, “This bill was fast-tracked through Congress. The president exerted a lot of pressure on the Republican Congress to get this passed. What we want to do is encourage the Senate to reject the bill and send it back to Congress for revision.
“What we are talking about today is the impact on poor people, families, children, and seniors. We are conscious of the fact that it will have dramatic impact… so that it’s restructuring the wealth of this nation by taking from the many and giving it to the few.”
Yvonne Wheeler, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, also delivered a message at the press conference.
“To my seniors… you’ve worked hard, you sacrificed, you paid into a system with every paycheck. Not as an act of charity, but an act of contract. A promise that when your time came, this country would honor its words. That’s what Social Security, Medi-caid, and Medicare represent,” Wheeler said.
Seniors, holding signs that read “Don’t cut Medicare to pay for tax cuts for the rich,” “Hands off Social Security,” and “Nursing home residents need Medi-caid,” cheered in agreement with Wheeler’s remarks.
Erin Burts, a Los Angeles educator, was present at the rally on behalf of her elderly father. She had a message for the current administration.
“I would suggest that they get to learn more about what’s actually going on and how this is impacting people. I’m here representing my father, who’s disabled. He can’t fight physically, and so I’m here for him because so many are impacted, and it just doesn’t make sense,” said Burts.
“I feel that we need to follow the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
