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Photos: Dozens protest ‘one big beautiful’ reconciliation bill in Cedar Rapids

Nearly 100 protesters registered their opposition to the bill with representatives in U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s Cedar Rapids office

Jun. 25, 2025 4:20 pm, Updated: Jun. 25, 2025 4:48 pm

Penelope Wilmonth holds up her sign and chants, “We’re not dead yet,” during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference in front of the Cedar Rapids Federal Building in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. During the conference, Wilmonth spoke to those in attendance about her experiences as a caregiver and how Medicaid has helped those she has cared for. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Community member Bernard Clayton stepped forward to talk about Medicaid and to ask the crowd a question: “How is cutting funding stopping fraud?” during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference at the Cedar Rapids Federal Building in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. Community members visited U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst's Cedar Rapids office to express their opposition to President Trump's "one big beautiful" reconciliation bill. If the bill is passed, protesters said it will restrict humanitarian protections, healthcare and public benefits while funneling massive funding into detention, raids, and forced disappearances.(Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette) — Community member Bernard Clayton stepped forward to talk about Medicaid and to ask the crowd a question: “How is cutting funding stopping fraud?” during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference at the Cedar Rapids Federal Building in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. Community members visited U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst's Cedar Rapids office to express their opposition to President Trump's "one big beautiful" reconciliation bill. If the bill is passed, protesters said it will restrict humanitarian protections, health care and public benefits while funneling massive funding into detention, raids, and forced disappearances. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Pam Demaria (left) and Lois Mather hold up their signs and cheer for one of the speakers during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference at the Cedar Rapids Federal Building in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. Community members visited U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst's Cedar Rapids office to express their opposition to President Trump's "one big beautiful" reconciliation bill. If the bill is passed, protesters said it will restrict humanitarian protections, healthcare and public benefits while funneling massive funding into detention, raids, and forced disappearances.(Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette) — Pam Demaria (left) and Lois Mather hold up their signs and cheer for one of the speakers during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference at the Cedar Rapids Federal Building in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. Community members visited U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst's Cedar Rapids office to express their opposition to President Trump's "one big beautiful" reconciliation bill. If the bill is passed, protesters said it will restrict humanitarian protections, health care and public benefits while funneling massive funding into detention, raids, and forced disappearances. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Organizer with Senator Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, Evan Burger, collects contact sheets from community members to give to representatives of U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference at the Cedar Rapids Federal Building in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. Leaders from Senator Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, the Iowa Catholic Workers, and the local immigrant rights group Escucha Mi Voz Iowa briefly spoke with U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s representatives inside. The representatives provided them with contact sheets for community members to fill out. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette) — Organizer with Sen. Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, Evan Burger, collects contact sheets from community members to give to representatives of U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference at the Cedar Rapids Federal Building in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. Leaders from Sen. Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, the Iowa Catholic Workers, and the local immigrant rights group Escucha Mi Voz Iowa briefly spoke with U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s representatives inside. The representatives provided them with contact sheets for community members to fill out. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Jane Shuttleworh holds up her sign and chants “We’re not dead yet” during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference at the Cedar Rapids Federal Building in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. Community members visited U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst's Cedar Rapids office to express their opposition to President Trump's "one big beautiful" reconciliation bill. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Leaders from Senator Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, the Iowa Catholic Workers, and the local immigrant rights group Escucha Mi Voz Iowa tell community members that representatives of U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst would not be meeting with the group, but they had been able to deliver their speech during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference at the Cedar Rapids Federal Building in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. The event was co-sponsored by Senator Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, Iowa Catholic Workers, and local immigrant rights group Escucha Mi Voz Iowa.(Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette) — Leaders from Sen. Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, the Iowa Catholic Workers, and the local immigrant rights group Escucha Mi Voz Iowa tell community members that representatives of U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst would not be meeting with the group, but they had been able to deliver their speech during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference at the Cedar Rapids Federal Building in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. The event was co-sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, Iowa Catholic Workers, and local immigrant rights group Escucha Mi Voz Iowa. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Community members gather outside the Cedar Rapids Federal Building during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Patricia Higby speaks to the crowd about her personal experiences with Medicaid during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference at the Cedar Rapids Federal Building in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. The event was cosponsored by Senator Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, Iowa Catholic Workers, and local immigrant rights group Escucha Mi Voz Iowa.(Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette) — Patricia Higby speaks to the crowd about her personal experiences with Medicaid during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference at the Cedar Rapids Federal Building in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. The event was cosponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, Iowa Catholic Workers, and local immigrant rights group Escucha Mi Voz Iowa. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Carrie Stephan writes down her message to U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst after receiving news that the senator’s representatives would not come out to meet the group during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference at the Cedar Rapids Federal Building in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. Leaders from Senator Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, the Iowa Catholic Workers, and the local immigrant rights group Escucha Mi Voz Iowa briefly spoke with U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s representatives inside. The representatives provided them with contact sheets for community members to fill out. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette) — Carrie Stephan writes down her message to U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst after receiving news that the senator’s representatives would not come out to meet the group during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference at the Cedar Rapids Federal Building in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. Leaders from Sen. Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, the Iowa Catholic Workers, and the local immigrant rights group Escucha Mi Voz Iowa briefly spoke with U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s representatives inside. The representatives provided them with contact sheets for community members to fill out. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Carrie Stephan (far left), Monica O’Toole (left), Penelope Wilmonth (right) and Joy Cummings uses the pillars out side of the Cedar Rapids Federal Building to write on contact papers during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. Leaders from Senator Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, the Iowa Catholic Workers, and the local immigrant rights group Escucha Mi Voz Iowa briefly spoke with U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s representatives inside. The representatives provided them with contact sheets for community members to fill out.(Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette) — Carrie Stephan (far left), Monica O’Toole (left), Penelope Wilmonth (right) and Joy Cummings uses the pillars out side of the Cedar Rapids Federal Building to write on contact papers during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. Leaders from Sen. Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, the Iowa Catholic Workers, and the local immigrant rights group Escucha Mi Voz Iowa briefly spoke with U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s representatives inside. The representatives provided them with contact sheets for community members to fill out. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

David Goodner speaks to those who attended the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference about the next steps they need to take at the NewBo City Market in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. The event was co-sponsored by Senator Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, Iowa Catholic Workers, and local immigrant rights group Escucha Mi Voz Iowa.(Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette) — David Goodner speaks to those who attended the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference about the next steps they need to take at the NewBo City Market in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. The event was co-sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" project, Iowa Catholic Workers, and local immigrant rights group Escucha Mi Voz Iowa. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Tom Carsner (left), Jane Noble Davis and community organizer for Escucha Mi Voz Iowa Alejandra Escobar clap for one of the speakers after the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference at the NewBo City Market in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. Carsner said President Trump's "one big beautiful" reconciliation bill would tighten Medicaid’s qualifications and make it harder for community members to receive help. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

About 80 community members gathered in front of the Cedar Rapids Federal Building during the Big Bad Budget Bill Press Conference in southeast Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. Community members visited U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst's Cedar Rapids office to express their opposition to President Trump's "one big beautiful" reconciliation bill. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

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