Billions for the rich, punishment for the poor, war for the world

Today, President Donald Trump signed a bill that will initiate one of the largest ever transfers of wealth from the working class to the rich. It will strip health care coverage from millions of low-income people, deprive children of food, accelerate climate change, and funnel billions to military contractors for weapons that threaten human survival.

To say we oppose this legislation is an understatement. As a Quaker organization, we believe all people contain the Light of God within us. These policies abandon our fundamental commitment to caring for all people and the Earth that we share. If unchallenged, this legislation will directly and indirectly contribute to the suffering and death of so many people in the U.S. and around the world.

The bill includes:

• The largest cuts to public health care in U.S. history, leaving an estimated 17 million people without health coverage and causing an estimated 51,000 premature deaths per year.
• New restrictions on SNAP and other anti-hunger programs, which will deprive millions of children of basic nutrition and the opportunities they need to succeed.
• Trillions of dollars in tax cuts that provide almost nothing for the poor and working class, while showering the wealthiest households in the U.S. with massive benefits.
• New subsidies for fossil fuel corporations while slashing tax credits for renewable energy projects.
• More than $150 billion on the Pentagon for its forever wars and wasteful projects.
• Billions for cruel anti-immigrant policies that tear our families and communities apart, including expanding detention centers and adding thousands more ICE and Border Patrol agents.

We cannot and will not accept this anti-human framework as the new status quo. Our government should provide for public needs, not transfer billions from the poor and working class to the rich. Already, protests and acts of resistance have been taking place across the country in response to the anti-democratic, anti-working class, anti-immigrant policies of the Trump administration. As the impacts of this legislation are felt nationwide, this resistance will only grow.

Everyone deserves access to health care, housing, freedom from violence, and the ability to participate in the decisions that impact our lives. While Congress, the courts, and the president have chosen to pursue policies that harm our communities, we can care for and defend one another. We call on all people - in the corridors of power and in every corner of this country - to reject and resist these policies and to work for the future we all deserve.
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The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine Light within each person, we nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. We work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.