Washingtonians From Across State Speak Out Against Personal and Devastating Impacts of So-Called “Big Beautiful Bill”
October 16, 2025
Link to watch today’s press conference
In advance of the Senate Ways & Means committee’s work session on the devastating impacts of HR1, the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” on our state, impacted Washingtonians spoke at a virtual press conference on how the federal government’s cuts are personally impacting them and their communities.
Impacts on SNAP Recipients
“As families like mine struggle to pay our bills and afford groceries, HR1 is poised to strip away programs that keep food on the table for millions of families like mine. I am a mother of three children. We have lived in Yakima for over 13 years. My children and I are privileged to qualify for WIC. Every month I receive my basic food package, which includes eggs, milk, fruit, and bread. Enough to last a week, I have already seen reductions program. Just last month, we were provided fewer groceries than before.” - Julia Perez, MomsRising member
“We’ve seen cutbacks in the food being supplied to our suppliers like Northwest Harvest and Lifeline. Prior to probably a year ago, we were giving about 50 pounds of food to every family that came through, and families could come through three times a week to the food pantry. Now, families can only come once a week and they're getting about 15 pounds of food.” - Rev. Jan Bolerjack, Pastor at Riverton Park United Methodist Church
Impacts on Medicaid Recipients
“My son Brian, has autism and needs extra support to live a full and meaningful life. Brian is eligible for Medicaid, which allows him to get healthcare and other services that he needs. Medicaid may not mean a lot to the people who don't use it, but it means the whole world to families like mine.” - Sylvia Lang, Professional Caregiver and Mother in Seattle
“Our clients are dependent on Medicaid funding to be able to live at home. If these people who represent the most vulnerable in our community are at risk of losing the assistance they need to continue living in their homes, we have to question where they are going to end up, especially if we're also discussing cuts to the rural healthcare system.” - Jennifer Harrell, Program Manager at Catholic Community Services
Impacts on Immigrant Communities
“HR1 devastates and destroys our immigrant communities, putting so many of us in Washington state with any kind of status whatsoever in fear of what may happen. Not only did they cut crucial programs across the country and our state to fund the tax breaks for wealthy for the wealthy, but they're also using that money to go and attack our fellow community members” Soumyo Lahiri-Gupta, Political and Organizing Manager with OneAmerica
About Invest in Washington Now
Invest In Washington Now is a network of over 120,00 Washingtonians from across the state united for a just and equitable tax code. We led efforts to pass the state’s capital gains tax on extraordinary profits and defended it at the ballot last year by defeating Initiative 2109 with over 64% of the vote.
Learn more at investinwanow.org
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