The U.S. Capitol pictured on March 25, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)
A group of educators and health advocates urged Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) to take a stand against the Republican-led budget reconciliation package, warning of dire consequences for rural North Carolinians.
The press conference, organized by progressive group Down Home North Carolina, featured speakers who shared their experiences with rural education and health care and said the cuts prescribed by President Donald Trump’s proposed “big, beautiful bill” would cause significant harm to both.
The House version of the bill, passed in May, would cut Medicaid funding by nearly $900 billion and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by $295 billion over the next decade, according to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office. Cuts to Medicaid at the federal level could also end North Carolina’s Medicaid expansion, which automatically reverts if federal matching funds fall below a certain threshold.
“We should not argue about whether children eat lunch or not,” said Kim Morrison, the former superintendent of Mount Airy City Schools. “We are a wealthy community as America, and we can take care of those that are less fortunate than us by giving free meals to them and free support for their health.”
Morrison said the federal funding cuts jeopardize not only the wellbeing of those who utilize the programs, but also the financial solvency of rural schools, hospitals, and grocery stores that depend on those dollars. She added that school programs that can easily be taken for granted — like Mount Airy’s student-operated Blue Bear Cafe and summer educational Blue Bear Bus — are made possible in part by federal funding, as are many beloved community programs.
“I think it’s really important for us to educate our community to say rural North Carolina is who’s really going to be hit the hardest,” she added. “They’re going to take the brunt of these cuts.”
Shanna Peele, a Buncombe County special education teacher, said many of her students on individual education plans are able to only because Medicaid covers their expenses. “That means a first grader who can’t hold a pencil gets occupational therapy,” she said. “It means a child learning to walk again can get physical therapy right in their school building. These are not extras. These are necessities.”
Franky Echols, an organizer with Public Schools Strong in Johnston County, noted that the school system is the largest employer in the county, and that many of those jobs will likely lose funding if the “big beautiful bill” passes.
Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), wrote in support of the budget reconciliation package, calling it the “most ambitious welfare reform in a generation.” (Photo: Senate.gov video stream)Speakers said they tried to contact Tillis, who is set to seek reelection in 2026, but have been left with murky answers from aides and did not get to hear from the senator directly. Rachel Phipps, a substitute teacher who has two chronic illnesses, lupus and multiple sclerosis, said Tillis’s office did not address her concerns that she could lose access to the care she depends on to continue teaching.
“All the emails I have received that they actually answered, their answer to every question that I asked was they were trying to weed out waste, fraud, and abuse,” Phipps said. “There’s no clear answer. We are not getting direct answers at all.”
In a June 11 commentary for The Hill, Tillis touted the reconciliation package as “the most ambitious welfare reform in a generation” and praised it for “finally enacting work requirements for able-bodied adults.”
“Trump was right to push to protect Medicaid beneficiaries while calling for a crackdown on waste, fraud and abuse,” Tillis wrote. “How dare we expect an able-bodied adult capable of holding a job actively seek employment, volunteer in their community, or pursue education in exchange for taxpayer-funded benefits?”
Todd Warren, a former public school Spanish teacher who is now Down Home NC’s statewide education strategist, said Tillis is “missing” as his constituents seek answers on the bill, adding that concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse are an attempt to deflect the fears of those who will lose coverage under the changes.
“There’s just literally no way to make that level of cuts and people not lose health care and access to food resources,” Warren said. “If there is any waste, fraud, and abuse, it’s on the part of the insurance companies, and that should be returned to the people of North Carolina.”
The Senate is expected to vote on the budget mega-bill on Friday or Saturday, after which it would proceed to the House for a final vote before heading to Trump’s desk if both votes are successful.
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