Activists from Indivisible Winnebago WI initiated a campaign titled ‘Honk for Democracy’, visible from a bridge over Interstate 41. In Oshkosh, roughly 60 people rallied to show disapproval for President Trump’s proposed legislation, the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’. This act proposes substantial reductions in Medicaid spending while boosting allocations for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The protesters expressed their worries over potential health care limitations, negative impacts on susceptible communities, and changes in immigration law.
The protesters amassed in Opera House Square on July 3, holding placards, making public speeches, and placing a large banner on a highway overbridge, calling for democratic solidarity. Their peaceful protest was a response to the proposed ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’ The rally was subtly labelled as the ‘Big Ugly Bill Protest’, conveying their disagreement with the proposed cuts to Medicaid and the comprehensive domestic changes related to immigration and border control proposed by the bill.
The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ contemplates a vast reduction in Medicaid funding, with cuts projected around $1 trillion up until 2034. Labelled the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’, this proposed budget legislation features significant reductions to Medicaid spending while concurrently promoting tax breaks. By reducing Medicaid funding of almost $1 trillion over the proceeding decades, it is estimated that this reduction would likely swell the population of uninsured individuals to an additional 11.8 million people by 2034.
The legislation places a heavy emphasis on border security and immigration control, setting out a massive budget allocation of $150 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This allocation makes it the highest funded law enforcement entity within the Federal Government. Reacting to these proposed changes, local activists displayed signs calling for their disapproval while showcasing pictures of immigrants, titled ‘Disappeared by Trump’.
Notable among the demonstrators was Lorna Yaroch, a 61-year-old resident of Oshkosh, who while waving a ‘Defend the Constitution’ flag spoke about her personal health struggles and her fears around losing her Medicare benefits. Confined to a wheelchair, she expressed a pronounced fear for her future, considering the passing of the bill could greatly endanger her home care which is tended to full time by her husband through iLIFE.
Indivisible Winnebago WI, the group responsible for coordinating the ‘No Kings Day’ protest a month earlier, also played a significant role in the ‘Honk for Democracy’ campaign displayed on an overpass on Interstate 41. The ‘Big Ugly Bill Protest’ came hot on the trail of the much larger ‘No Kings Day’ demonstration. The ‘No Kings Day’ protest successfully rallied over 1,500 people in downtown Oshkosh, voicing their opposition to the Trump administration’s multimillion-dollar military parade planned for Flag Day.
In addition to these demonstrations, approximately 70 local advocates organized a ‘Not my President Day’ demonstration in February at Opera House Square. Despite this extensive protesting, Trump’s proposed ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ continues to be a matter of contention among the local residents, healthcare providers, and immigration advocates. At the heart of the public dissent lies the potential repercussions on vulnerable communities, the fears of increasing numbers of uninsured citizens, and possible immigration policy shifts.
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