Despite periods of rain, about 40 people demonstrated outside the State House on Wednesday, pressuring Republicans to oppose a new Congressional bill that would cut funding for student loans, Medicaid and food stamp programs.
Members of MoveOn, a liberal nonprofit organization that promotes democracy, sponsored the protest. Matthew Moreau, a member of MoveOn, said the bill would increase the interest rate for loans for current and future student borrowers. Federal subsidies that are paid to companies that offer student loans would also be cut, he said.
A version of the Budget Reconciliation Bill may appear before the House of Representatives this week and an alternative version may appear before the Senate. These alternative versions would remove some of the more contentious aspects of the budget cuts, instead focusing on decreasing tax cuts for the wealthy
“The Republican Party has to listen to a wider range of constituents,” Moreau said.
The protesters gave speeches and held signs on paper plates. Moreau said the plates “show what Thanksgiving could look like for many Americans if [the budget cuts] pass [Congress].”
Speakers at the event came from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from professors to artists to computer programmers. Many of the speakers said they receive aid from some of the social institutions threatened by the budget cuts.
Speaker Linda Barnes, an associate professor of medical anthropology at the Boston University School of Medicine and Public Health said that although she came from a well-to-do background, she received her own student loans during her graduate training.
Another speaker, Eugenia Harris, said many Hurricane Katrina victims would be denied aid at the time when they need it most because of the proposed budget cuts.
“I urge Congress to consider the consequences of their actions,” Harris said.
Maria Banco, a student at University of Massachusetts Boston spoke about her reliance upon aid from institutions that may be in jeopardy.
Blanco added that instead of cutting funds, the state should invest money in social programs.
“We all need welfare, we all need food stamps, we all need Medicaid, and we all need student loans,” she said.
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