About 30 community members rallied Thursday outside the Tesla dealership on Herndon Avenue, between Palm and Ingram avenues, to protest a proposed federal spending bill that could cut Medicaid and SNAP benefits.

While standing with protesters, some cars honked in support while others yelled, “get a job.” Protesters saw a car that yelled that sentiment a couple times, questioning whether the person yelling also had a job to go to.

The demonstration was part of a statewide week of action led by We Are California, a grassroots movement opposing federal budget cuts that threaten essential programs relied upon by millions of families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities, the group said in a news release.

Three weeks ago, House Republicans, at the urging of former President Donald Trump, passed a budget blueprint that includes $4.5 billion in tax breaks and $2 million in spending cuts, primarily targeting safety-net programs such as Medicaid and SNAP, commonly known as food stamps.

Protesters Speak Out Against Cuts

Alicia Olivarez, a Fresno resident, said the movement aims to push back against corporations benefiting from budget policies that harm working families.

“We want to take a stand today and let our (members of Congress) know that they need to show up for the working people that elected them,” Olivarez said. “If this federal budget were to go through, it means Medi-Cal would be cut. It means CalFresh and access to groceries for a lot of folks will be cut.”

She noted the Central Valley would be especially impacted, citing high reliance on Medi-Cal. “In this district, Jim Costa’s, one in two people rely on Medi-Cal. Even when you go further south in Valadao’s district, two in three people rely on Medi-Cal. Some of the highest rates in the country,” she said.

Protester Dakari Cleveland said the cuts would harm working-class families, including his own son.

“I would say they (elected officials) really need to keep their constituents in mind and the people who put them in power,” Cleveland said. “They should really think about them before they think about the individuals that are just looking for profit and thinking about their pickets at the end of the day.”

We Are California organizers said they will continue to rally against the proposed cuts, urging elected officials to prioritize working families over corporate tax breaks.

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