Emanuel Cleaver: Trump's Big Ugly Bill stealing health care, food assistance from poor to fund tax cuts for rich

(From Fifth District Congressman Emanuel Cleaver)

As the cost of living continues to rise, my Republican colleagues have decided to prioritize the targeting of public broadcasting, like PBS and NPR; sources of information and entertainment that are vital to our communities and youth.

Instead of focusing on lowering costs and meeting the basic needs of their constituents, the GOP has set its sights on killing Sesame Street. Which is why I joined fellow House Democrats in introducing an amendment to the Republican recission package to protect funding for these integral institutions. GOP members undermined this effort to retain funding for public information, so when it came time to vote, I voted against these devastating cuts for childhood staples and nonpartisan news.

As if cutting access to public broadcasting wasn't enough, the GOP agenda is threatening an additional pillar of public education: the Job Corps. This national program provides courses for roughly 20,000 young people to learn skills for in-demand vocational and technical job training. Job Corps specifically focuses on the 16-24-year-old population that is neither working, nor in school, and gives them a direct pathway to employment, ensuring they become productive members of the American workforce.

When faced with the proposed cuts to funding for this program, I couldn't sit idly by. Myself and nearly 200 other congressional lawmakers reached out to the Secretary of the Department of Labor, urging her to continue the Job Corps program. In our bipartisan letter, we emphasize the importance of the program and its benefits to young workers and small businesses nationwide.

While Job Corps is a national program, there are a multitude of educational programs here in our 5th Congressional District. Namely, Literacy KC, which I had the honor of visiting just last week. During my time with the students, I was able to hear their stories and better understand the way Literacy KC serves constituents in communities throughout the district. They shared their trials and tribulations, as well as their triumphs and victories.

I was told stories of addiction overcome, education pursued, and lives bettered because of the skills and support Literacy KC provided. Most importantly, I was able to discuss the Trump Administration's proposed "skinny budget", which is threatening to eliminate $729 million in funding to adult education programs - a devastating cut which would weaken Literacy KC's ability to offer their life-altering services to our community members. I stand with the students and educators at Literacy KC and will continue fighting for federal investments in adult education.

Resisting GOP Overreach and Defending our Democracy

Since President Trump's inauguration, there has been a startling misuse of power by the Trump administration and GOP representatives. Since the start, I have been actively working to uphold the rule of law and support my constituents - and these past few weeks have been no different. When it came time to vote on the Big Ugly Bill, a piece of legislation determined to steal healthcare and food assistance from working class families to fund tax cuts for the rich, I voted no.

When Trump spent an estimated $45 million on a birthday parade for himself, I had the honor of standing shoulder to shoulder with my constituents as we peacefully protested at the No Kings Rally. We came together as a community, from all different walks of life, to show our love for our country and defend our democracy.

As political violence has intensified, I have not remained silent, either. When the Justice Department charged Representative LaMonica McIver with assault of an ICE official, an effort to intimidate Congressmembers from exercising their constitutional oversight responsibilities, I immediately expressed my strong opposition to the politicization of the law. 

When Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's press conference for trying to get answers about the immigration raids taking place in Los Angeles, I stood in firm support of his leadership on this issue. When a Minnesota assassin targeted and killed Democratic lawmakers, I extended my condolences and did not hesitate to condemn the political violence. Time and time again, I have spoken up for our democratic processes and showed up to resist GOP overreach.