We must demand a better budget from Congress

This past week, Linn County hosted a public roundtable in Cedar Rapids with local health care and food service providers to examine the human impact of the proposed federal tax reconciliation bill. Over 100 residents attended, and what they heard was devastating.

If passed, this bill would slash funding for Medicaid and SNAP — two of the most vital safety net programs in our country. Fewer people will be able to see a doctor. More families will struggle to afford groceries. And the already-overburdened hospitals, clinics, and food pantries in Linn County will be forced to pick up the pieces with even fewer resources.

These cuts won’t just hurt those enrolled in Medicaid or SNAP — they’ll affect everyone. When thousands lose coverage, they turn to emergency rooms for basic care, flooding our hospitals, driving up uncompensated costs, and creating longer wait times for everyone. The same is true for food pantries, which will be pushed beyond capacity as more families turn to them after losing benefits. This is not just a low-income issue — it’s a community-wide crisis waiting to happen.

Leaders from Eastern Iowa Health Center, Linn County Public Health, AbbeHealth, and HACAP painted a stark picture of what’s to come if these cuts are enacted.

Joe Lock warned the health center could lose up to $3 million in Medicaid funding — jeopardizing plans to expand services like urgent care and pharmacy access. Cindy Fiester described how red tape and frequent eligibility checks would cause people to lose coverage altogether, skipping vital cancer screenings and chronic care. Theresa Graham-Mineart raised the alarm about the risk of suicides and overdoses if access to mental health care is disrupted — especially for those with severe, persistent illness. Aaron Becht explained that SNAP cuts could result in 10 million fewer meals in Iowa, overwhelming already maxed-out food pantries and forcing families to choose between food, rent, and medicine.

What makes this all the more painful is what these cuts are paying for. The same bill that guts health and nutrition support for working families also expands a system rigged to reward wealth over work — doling out billions in new tax breaks to those who already benefit the most. Not to people struggling to pay for insulin, groceries, or child care — but to a system that already shields investment income and rewards multinational corporations for outsourcing jobs.

Let’s be clear — this isn’t about fiscal responsibility. It’s about who gets prioritized. And once again, it’s the working class — people who drive our buses, stock our shelves, care for our kids, and build our roads — who are being told to tighten their belts so that a rigged system can keep funneling more resources to the top.

In Linn County, we believe in taking care of one another. We believe no one should have to choose between medicine and rent. That no child should go to bed hungry. And that health care and food are not luxuries — they are basic human rights.

As a county supervisor, I’m calling on our federal delegation — and especially those who represent Eastern Iowa — to reject this backward, morally bankrupt proposal. Budget decisions are not just about numbers on a spreadsheet. They are about our values. And right now, Congress has a choice: protect working families or protect a system that already favors the ultra-wealthy.

Our community has made its voice clear. We must stand up, speak out, and demand a better deal — for all of us, not just those at the top.

Sami Scheetz represents District 2 on the Linn County Board of Supervisors.