Demonstrators in Butler County continue protesting Trump decisions
BUTLER TWP — Tammy Taylor, of Butler, is not sure if her attendance at recent protests against decisions made by President Donald Trump is making an impact, but she said she is compelled to keep at it.
She was one of about 60 people who demonstrated Saturday, May 31, on North Main Street near Midway Lane.
“It’s just worrisome that some people don’t know or don’t care,” Taylor said. “Whether it does nothing or not? I don’t know, but I can’t just sit back.”
Saturday was the seventh protest that Debbie Barger, a member of the Butler County Democratic Committee, has helped organize since Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. She said the protest Saturday was by invitation-only, and not publicly advertised ahead of time to avoid potential conflicts.
Barger said the purpose of the protests is to show the power of public demonstration. She also said she and other people at the demonstration were concerned about the defunding of Social Security and especially Medicaid, with cuts to the program being proposed in the recent U.S. House spending bill.
The legislation, which passed May 22 in the House and is now in the Senate, includes work requirements for both Medicaid and recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. To be eligible for Medicaid, able-bodied adults without dependents would need at least 80 hours per month of work, education or service. People would also need to verify their eligibility twice a year instead of once.
It is estimated that Medicaid, also known as Medical Assistance in Pennsylvania, would see a $700 billion reduction in spending.
Barger, who used to work at Butler Memorial Hospital, said it would likely not be able to stay open if Medicaid is slashed because of the number of people in Butler County who are on the program.
“We don’t want these programs to be cut,” Barger said. “We’re also talking about the VA, we don’t want those veterans to lose their health care and (the federal government) to cut funding.”
Taylor said she thinks people in the Butler area might not be aware of how funding cuts to social programs would affect people in their community, including themselves. She said conversations she has had with people, even those who support Trump and his policies, have reinforced this idea.
“They’re not dumb ... They don’t know what this will do,” Taylor said.
Fran Lunz, of Butler, also attended the protest to speak up about Trump’s proposed tariffs, cuts to VA funding and potential cuts to Medicaid. He said he was upset by decisions the U.S. Supreme Court made in relation to actions of the Trump administration.
“The Supreme Court opened the door for him,” Lunz said.
Although this was the seventh protest organized by the Butler County Democratic Committee, Barger said she didn’t envision the semi-regular protests ending anytime soon.
“We knew we had to do some, and we’ll do them as long as they need to be done,” Barger said. “We are going to do them all over the county.”
