SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – A quickly formed group of South Lake Tahoe residents protested at Lakeview Commons Wednesday after the Senate passed the President’s budget bill and moved to the House.
A growing chorus of 3rd Congressional District constituents is calling on their representative in Congress, Kevin Kiley, to reject the so-called “Big Beautiful” budget bill, said local John Friedrich. Some of their concerns were outlined in a Letter to the Editor on South Tahoe Now on Tuesday.
Those opposing the bill have several issues with what is contained in the almost 900-page bill, including:
- 11.8 million people will lose Medicaid coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office
- Food assistance programs like SNAP (CalFresh) are being slashed, while funding for ICE operations, a border wall and detention centers is slated to receive $170 billion
- Dozens of clean energy and transportation programs will be eliminated, which will cost millions of good jobs, fuel the climate crisis, raise electricity prices and increase toxic pollution from burning more coal and oil,
- Massive increases in logging of our national forests are mandated,
- The bill will add at least $3.2 trillion to the national debt by extending tax cuts for the wealthiest and large corporations, according to the Congressional Budget Office
During the protest, the drivers of dozens of cars and trucks honked their horns in support, though a couple of drivers showed displeasure with a finger.
The South Lake Tahoe Democrat Club and Solidarity Network group, among others, signed a petition and sent it to Kiley ahead of his vote on the bill. A comment from the congressman’s office late Wednesday night stated they would be sending out a comment “when the bill passes.”
