PHOENIX – JJ Stroh and other AFSCME members spoke out last week about the impact that the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill Act” will have on Arizona.
And they thanked their local congressman for siding with working families and retirees rather than billionaires by voting against that cruel budget bill.
Members of AFSCME and the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA) came together with Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona’s 4th Congressional District at a forum to discuss the new law’s cuts to health care, nutrition assistance and other life-saving programs. The event was held last Thursday, the 90th anniversary of the signing of the Social Security Act.
Stroh, an AFSCME retiree, called the cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP “a direct attack on seniors, retirees, working families, children, and people with disabilities.”
“As former public service workers, we delivered the services that make our communities stronger. Now, as retirees, we rely on those same programs. We’re being forced to shoulder these cuts just to make billionaires richer,” Stroh said.
AFSCME and ARA members underscored that the new federal budget will slash public services to give the largest tax break for billionaires in history. In Arizona, more than 300,000 people could lose lifesaving health care and 190,000 could lose critical food benefits.
AFSCME Local 2384 President Jason Henley, a maintenance mechanic for the City of Phoenix Water Department, thanked Stanton for voting against the bill.
“AFSCME members, retirees and our community partners are organizing and fighting back. And we’re thankful to have strong pro-worker members of Congress like Representative Stanton standing with us,” he said.
Linda Somo, president of the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans, noted how the administration is targeting Social Security.
“There is no better way to celebrate Social Security’s anniversary than staffing the (Social Security Administration), and passing legislation to make the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share into the system,” Somo said.