Email from Rural Americans United Skinny Farm Bill, ACA and No Kings ever!       What Is In This Newsletter? A Seat is a Seat Do nothing Dan and the MAGA dream No Kings! October 18th White woman problems with ACA: Angie Girard   A Seat Is a Seat I’ve written before about my dissatisfaction for the process of electing someone to office: the endless begging for money, the shallow promises, and the duplicity of a party's support for one race over another simply because one is “high profile” while another might be in your own backyard. I’ll say it again, as I always do until my throat is raw: a seat is a seat. There is not one that is worth more than another. You either control Congress, or you don’t. I’ve even broken down the numbers before. One Senate race—say, Senator Warnock’s—could have funded and flipped enough House seats to give Democrats a supermajority. But we don’t do that, do we? Here in Washington’s Fourth Congressional District, this seat could have been won before—and could be again this cycle—for a mere $2 million. That’s less than one percent of what was spent on Warnock’s race. The Cost of Inaction On October 18, No Kings Day, we will likely see more people turn out to protest the 47 administration than many of us have seen in our lifetimes. People are moved by the horrors that have befallen our democracy. When a president can announce on live television that he has ended free speech and declared anti-fascism a domestic terrorist agenda, the response will be outrage and action—but it will fall short when it comes to funding elections at home. This is not a criticism of those who cannot give financially. Many people already give their time, their voice, and their courage—often at great personal sacrifice. Their commitment is what sustains democracy. But there are others among us who can do more. Those with the means to contribute must recognize that their financial support is what turns passion into progress. What It Takes to Win Eighty people—that’s all it takes to launch one of the most effective campaigns ever run in Congressional District 4. And just 200 people could win it. Two hundred individuals willing to raise $1.1 million, the amount needed for a viable campaign starting in February. With so much at stake—literally our lives and our freedoms—why is it so hard to find 200 people willing to commit $6,000 each? That’s a small price for free speech, the right to self-governance, and protection from unwarranted search, seizure, and imprisonment. For some, that amount is out of reach, and their contributions will come in the form of volunteering, organizing, and showing up. But for others, $6,000 is entirely possible—and now is the time to give it.  Beyond Politics as Usual I have strong opposition to the traditional model of electoral politics and the greed that defines it. But this is different. This is a moment when a relatively small amount of money—and a great deal of heart—could truly change the course of our nation and the lives of people right here at home. We can keep waving signs, sharing social posts, and attending rallies. All of that matters deeply. But real change requires investment, in both effort and resources. It requires each of us to act with urgency and purpose, in whatever way we are able. A seat is a seat. And this one—our seat—can and should be won. The question is not whether we can afford to fight for it, but whether we can afford not to. My crystal ball: Congressional District 8 is a lock, 3 we will keep, 4 is flippable and 5 will take more time. Do nothing Dan and the MAGA dream The Farm Bill is critical to the success of people in rural Washington and the nation as a whole. About eighty percent of the Farm Bill is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly referred to as food stamps. Congressional District 4 Representative Dan Newhouse prides himself on being one of only a handful of farmers in Congress and therefore claims to be a “significant” voice for farmers. The U.S. Congress passes the Farm Bill roughly every five years to shape national agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and forestry policy. The last time it was passed was in 2018. Newhouse was sworn in in 2015 and was already well into his second term when the Farm Bill came up for a vote.   From Legislating to Executive Orders Now that we have seen a seismic shift from the Legislative Branch actually legislating to a country run by executive order, the all-important Farm Bill has been gutted by the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, H.R. 1. Along with making huge and devastating cuts to SNAP and other critical programs, it also dealt a devastating blow to Medicaid. These two cuts alone, so deep and damaging, have left rural America reeling and without a clear future. Add to this the cuts to programs such as Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Food for Schools. Not to mention the negative impact of tariffs and cuts to foreign aid, which have reduced agricultural purchases by billions of dollars. SNAP Cuts and Food Insecurity The consequences of cuts to SNAP cannot be overstated. Eighty percent of the Farm Bill is allocated to SNAP, representing billions of dollars. In Yakima County, one in five people depend on SNAP, which is twice the state average. The impact on food insecurity and the inevitable consequences that follow will rip through our community like a plague. Surprisingly, there is no MAGA spin that works here because there is no upside. Even attempts to claim protection of Americans from paying for “illegal aliens” ring too hollow for even Newhouse to mouth. Recently, Jerry LeClaire wrote an article on Congressional District 5’s Mike Baumgartner and his position on the Big Beautiful Bill, and it is laughable how it mirrors Newhouse. Apparently parroting MAGA talking points is preferable to actually representing one’s district. Medicaid Fallout Cuts to Medicaid total approximately $911 billion dollars, which is just a little less than double Elon Musk’s wealth. For those of us who live in rural areas, we already know how fragile and inadequate our healthcare system is. With upwards of 70 percent of the people in rural Washington dependent upon Medicaid or ACA benefits, it requires no exaggeration to describe the crushing blow to our economy and people with the loss of rural healthcare. Do Nothing Dan’s white knight solution is to “fight for us” to secure our share of $50 billion directed toward rural hospitals over the next ten years. That amounts to just five percent of Medicaid cuts — and it comes with huge strings attached. Even more problematic is that half of the funds are allocated based on state applications, and the other half is based on “need” as assessed at the discretion of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). We have already seen 47’s administration’s attitude toward Democratic states. What is the likelihood that this distribution will be equitable, especially with Newhouse’s and 47’s history? Global Market Collapse Destroying the global market has always been a superpower of 47, and this time around is no different. During 47’s first administration, his trade war with China failed so completely that he had to bail out U.S. farmers to the tune of $28 billion, the legality of which is still in question. This time his tariffs, cuts to foreign aid, gutting of local programs, and general incompetence have meant significant losses of foreign markets for U.S. farmers. China, usually one of our largest buyers of soybeans, has purchased none from the U.S. this year. Instead, they have turned to Brazil and Argentina. To add insult to injury, 47 has just promised $20 billion to Argentina. 47 has announced that he will use tariff money, because it is “pouring in,” to bail out farmers. While this confirmation of failed economic policies may console some, for our farmers it is a death knell. Traditionally both price supports and bailout money have gone to select crops, excluding our fruit and vegetable growers. Again, what is the likelihood that China will want to return to the U.S. in the future — at least not without steep and painful concessions borne by the American people. Labor Impact and Wage Suppression Wage suppression is also on the table through reworking of the Adverse Effective Wage Rate (AEWR), which is used to calculate the wage rate for guest workers. It is set to lower the wage paid to H-2A workers. Depending on your perspective this could be good or bad, but for our communities it is bad. The AEWR was supposed to make guest workers less attractive than local labor because of the extra cost. But as farms have grown huge, it has proven far more cost-effective to pay the higher wages than to rely on local workers. Lowering H-2A wages will only make local labor even less attractive. Additionally, small farmers have largely been excluded from participating in the H-2A visa process because of the high costs and complexity. Lowering wages does not make the process more accessible to them. The MAGA Dream Fulfilled So what does this all mean? After nearly a decade of incompetence, Dan Newhouse has accomplished the MAGA dream. He is devastating our economy, creating poverty wages, cutting healthcare, and replacing it with food insecurity — leaving us apparently expected to be grateful for whatever crumbs are thrown our way so that a few who already have too much can have more. And now Do Nothing Dan has announced that since the Farm Bill has been gutted, he can finally pass the “skinny” Farm Bill. My goodness. Your Donation Is Important White woman problems with ACA: Angie Girard When I read Angie Girard’s most recent Substack article, I knew it was something more people needed to see. If a comfortably well-off, educated white woman can be so upended by changes to the ACA, it takes little imagination to grasp the impact on the millions of Americans who have far less security. I haven’t included the article here for the sake of brevity, but I strongly encourage you to visit Angie’s Substack and read My ACA Marketplace Journey.   Rural Americans United   Rural Americans United | 420 South 72nd Avenue Suite 180 PMB 110 | Yakima, WA 98908 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice