Official Statement on H.R. 1

As America prepares to celebrate 248 years of independence, we are once again reminded of this nation’s enduring contradiction: a country founded on the ideals of liberty and justice, yet continually failing to extend those promises to all. As fireworks fill the sky, Congress has ignited a different kind of explosion, the passage of H.R. 1, a devastating budget that will gut vital programs like Medicaid and SNAP to fund more tax breaks for billionaires and corporations. It would strip health care from 1.4 million Floridians. It slashes $300 billion from SNAP. And it would supercharge immigration enforcement, funneling billions into ICE to ramp up raids, detentions, and deportations. 

Florida alone stands to lose more than $54 billion in federal funding as a result of this bill, that over 50% of our budget. This will threaten the survival of our schools, hospitals, and critical public services. And it is being rushed through Congress under an artificial deadline imposed by Donald Trump. It does not have to be this way. 

Equal Ground strongly opposes H.R. 1 and any budget that sacrifices the well-being of working people to benefit those already at the top. This bill threatens the health, safety, and future of millions, especially in Florida, and it betrays the very values America claims to celebrate. On this Fourth of July, we reject the hollow symbolism of freedom without justice. We stand with the people, not the powerful, and we recommit ourselves to building a future where liberty and justice are truly for all. That is the only kind of patriotism worth celebrating.

Genesis Robinson, Executive Director