(Iowa News Service) – Groups working for human rights causes in Iowa warn proposed cuts being debated in Congress would trickle down to the people least able to sustain them.  The Trump administration has proposed $880 billion in cuts over the next decade to Medicaid and other services, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Progress Iowa Executive Director Mazie Stillwell said those cuts would fall most squarely on average Iowans, many of them kids, who don’t have a voice in the process. “There is so much fear right now, and it’s fear from everyday working Iowans who know there’s no one fighting for them,” said Stillwell. “It’s the Iowans who know that when push comes to shove, and when programs are put on the chopping block, they’re the ones who are going to suffer.”

The Trump administration has said it is working to downsize the federal government and cut expenses.  About 270,000 Iowans receive SNAP or federal food assistance, and more than 700,000 get their health coverage from Medicaid. Stillwell contended that Iowans aren’t the only ones afraid of potential social service cuts, but politicians are too.

She said she suspects that’s one reason they aren’t showing up at town hall meetings, that have long been the hallmark of grassroots democracy in the state. “What we’ve seen is these members of Congress running away from their constituents,” said Stillwell. “They are refusing to answer their questions. They are trying to make a mockery of their constituents and their efforts.”

Stillwell said in light of the just-passed income tax filing deadline, Iowans want to know their money is being used to represent their interests – and not to fund tax cuts or corporate interests.