Six Reasons Why the House Budget Bill Will Hurt Rural America

Michael Chameides, Barn Raiser • May 21, 2025

Republicans in Congress are jamming through a sweeping bill to fund handouts to the rich


This story was originally published by Barn Raiser, an independent source for rural and small town news.

 

Right now, Congress is working on a fast-track bill that would make historic cuts to basic needs programs in order to finance another round of tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations.

 

The House majority will be advancing their bill to the floor in the next few days. With their narrow majority, it will need every vote to pass.

 

As the Communications and Policy Director for the Rural Democracy Initiative, I’ve been hearing from rural leaders across the country about the devastating impacts this bill would have. The good news is it’s not too late. But there is little time to spare.

 

Last Friday, five Republicans in the House Budget Committee — including four members of the conservative Freedom Caucus — joined all Democrats on the committee in blocking the bill from reaching the House floor. But some of the opposition want even deeper cuts to programs like Medicaid to offset exorbitant tax cuts for the rich.

 

Overnight on Sunday, the House Budget Committee barely passed the bill out of committee by promising that changes would be made, including additional work requirements for Medicaid recipients, an increase in state support of Medicaid, and a quicker end to clean energy tax credits.

 

The House vote is expected this week.

 

Now is the time to make sure every member of the House of Representatives knows how we feel.

 

Congress is working to pass this sweeping bill using a budget maneuver called “reconciliation.” While this process allows the bill to pass the Senate with fewer votes, it also complicates the process by only allowing policies that impact the budget to be included. President Trump and congressional Republicans have also decided that, rather than passing multiple pieces of legislation, they will enact major changes to government in a giant, fast-tracked bill that will have sweeping impacts across the country.

 

This is an incredibly nontransparent, partisan, inefficient way to enact legislation. Still, it is nearly their only option to enact extremely unpopular changes that will raise prices and take away critical programs that benefit working people to give tax breaks and handouts to the rich.

 

The Stakes for Rural People

This dangerous reconciliation bill would increase costs for rural working families by thousands of dollars per year, leaving millions hungry and without healthcare, to provide tax breaks and handouts to the wealthy and special interests. Here are just six of the worst provisions:

 

1. Guts rural healthcare

The bill will take healthcare away from 13.8 million Americans and increase the cost for millions more. In some states, 50% of rural children get healthcare from Medicaid. Millions of people rely on access to clinics and hospitals that would likely close because of these cuts.

 

2. Takes food off the tables of rural people

The plan includes approximately $290-$319 billion in cuts to SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) even as the cost of groceries continues to escalate. More than 15% of families in small towns and rural areas rely on this support to feed their families.

 

3. Shifts costs to states and local governments

State and local governments in rural states depend more on federal funding from programs like SNAP and Medicaid than other states. Slashing federal funding to states will create new burdens for rural states that are already struggling to provide critical public services like healthcare, transportation, and emergency response services to local communities.

 

4. Takes away local control

Landowners have fought to stop the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines by passing bans and moratoria, as well as enacting county setbacks and safety requirements to protect their communities. The bill would create a new federal process that overrules state and local laws and ordinances, overrides local voices, and deprives residents of a fair opportunity to evaluate the adverse impacts of pipeline construction and operation. The bill preserves the tax credit that is driving carbon pipeline proposals, and it would set up a “pay to play” system under which companies can pay for pipeline, mining, and drilling permits, and avoid public comment and legal challenges.

 

5. Ends clean energy and infrastructure tax credits and funding

The bill would phase out the tax credits for wind, solar, batteries, geothermal, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing. It would also rescind $262 million in funding for energy efficiency and conservation grants as well as transportation infrastructure. Ending the tax credits is projected to increase household energy costs by 2-7%, which are already higher in many rural communities. These changes are projected to reduce clean energy projects by 57-72%, and jeopardize the $522 billion of investment in clean energy manufacturing facilities and installations.

 

6. Provides handouts to agribusiness and mega farms

Leaders in Congress have failed to negotiate a new farm bill because they continue to prioritize increasing payment triggers known as reference prices for a small number of mega farms rather than reforming the farm safety net to support all farmers. Now they are using the budget reconciliation process to eliminate payment limits and give those big farms a $50 billion windfall with no plan to pass a farm bill this year. Add the heightened pressures and instability caused by the Trump administration’s erratic trade policy, more farmers will lose their farms, while big farms continue to grow.

 

While GOP leaders insist that they are cutting trillions in healthcare, food assistance, clean energy, and more in order to root out “waste, fraud and abuse,” taking away basic services and making life more unaffordable does nothing to address any of these. Rather than making it harder for people to meet their basic needs and take care of their families, Congress should address waste and fraud by stopping corporate price gouging, curbing profits, breaking up monopolies that abuse consumers, and making the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share of taxes like the rest of us.

 

Rural Voices Matter

Hearing directly from rural voters will have a significant impact on whether this bill moves forward and what it ultimately includes. Here are three actions that you can take right now to ensure we apply the maximum amount of pressure on members of Congress:

 

  • Post on social media platforms and tag your congressional representatives.
  • Encourage your entire community to call or write Congress about this bill. The Congressional Hotline is available in English and Spanish 866-426-2631. You can also use this line to organize a volunteer phone bank.
  • To make sure you’re heard, visit your local congressional office yourself or with a group to express your opinion.

 

This legislation contains many unpopular ideas and terrible trade-offs for working families, but those who will be most impacted by the devastating changes to Medicaid, food stamps, energy policy, etc., are largely unaware. It’s up to us to alert our communities and engage constituents in taking action in-district, where they can have the greatest influence on their representatives.

 

 

Michael Chameides is Rural Democracy Initiative’s Communications and Policy Director and supports a rural network to engage communities and advocate for meaningful policy.



Common Sense for the Eastern Shore

Trump Targets US Wind Permit, but Legal Experts See Slim Chances

By Jan Plotczyk • August 27, 2025
The Trump administration has moved to revoke the federal permit for US Wind’s offshore wind farm, throwing one of the Eastern Shore’s most significant economic and energy projects into uncertainty. While the legal fight plays out, supporters emphasize what the project means here at home: jobs, lower bills, and new opportunities for the Shore. US Wind’s planned investment of more than $1 billion would ripple through local economies. Thousands of well-paying jobs are tied to construction, operations, and supply chains, with work ranging from skilled trades to steel fabrication. The project’s turbines, located about 10 miles off Ocean City, are designed to generate enough clean energy to power more than 718,000 homes. Advocates argue that it will reduce reliance on fossil fuels, alleviate price pressures on families, and enhance Maryland’s grid reliability. “This project is about jobs, affordability, and securing our energy future,” said Nancy Sopko, US Wind’s vice president of external affairs. She noted that the permits were issued after years of rigorous review and remain legally sound. The Oceantic Network, a Baltimore-based nonprofit representing the offshore wind industry, underscored that the project will also support Maryland’s manufacturing base, pointing to the steel fabrication facility planned for Sparrows Point. “Once completed, the Maryland project and Sparrows Point steel will enhance our national security and economic freedom by directly supporting steel mill investments and bringing back important steel fabrication capabilities to America,” said Sam Salustro, the group’s senior vice president. For Eastern Shore residents, the promise of steady work and lower electricity bills is a rare opportunity in a region often left behind in statewide economic growth. Shore Progress , a grassroots progressive organization, vowed to defend the project: “This fight will be won in the courtroom and in the General Assembly, with strong allies like Governor Moore, Lt. Governor Miller, and the members of the Maryland General Assembly standing with us.” Gov. Wes Moore, who has made clean energy central to his administration’s agenda, has called attempts to cancel the project “utterly shortsighted.” He pointed to the looming demand for new electricity sources and warned that scrapping offshore wind would lead to higher utility rates across the state. Often backed by oil and gas lobbyists and out-of-state tourism groups, opponents argue that the turbines could affect views or local fishing. However, similar claims have been unsuccessful in courts in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, where projects have proceeded despite high-profile challenges. The Trump administration has tried to block offshore wind several times before, including New York’s Empire Wind and Massachusetts’s Vineyard Wind, but in each case, courts upheld the projects. Supporters believe the same outcome is likely here. For now, the administration has until Sept. 12 to finalize its action. Until then, the future of a project poised to reshape the Shore’s economy and energy future remains tied up in the courts. Jan Plotczyk spent 25 years as a survey and education statistician with the federal government, at the Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. She retired to Rock Hall.

Surprise! Andy Harris is Not Listening to His Constituents About Offshore Wind

By Jan Plotczyk • August 27, 2025
“For many years, my constituents across the First Congressional District have been overwhelmingly clear: they do not want offshore wind off their coast.” ~ Rep. Andy Harris (MD-01), July 11, 2025 Congressman Andrew P. Harris (R-MD-01) has not accomplished much in his 15 years in Congress, but he has become famous for being Maryland’s regressive anti-offshore wind farm champion — no matter how his constituents feel about it or the benefits that would accrue to them. He has called offshore wind an existential threat to local economies, and claims it poses a risk to national security and will cause great harm to marine life and the environment. And he has consistently maintained that his “constituents across the First Congressional District have been overwhelmingly clear: they do not want offshore wind off their coast.” However, a recent poll of Eastern Shore residents found that There is solid support for offshore wind. Strong majorities are convinced that wind projects will create jobs, improve health conditions, and support American energy independence. The poll found that 51% of Eastern Shore residents support building offshore wind farms off the coast of Maryland; only 37% say they are opposed, and 12% gave no opinion.

Federal Harm Registry Seeks Reports From Citizens Hurt by Trump Policies

By Gren Whitman • August 27, 2025
Last January 20, President Trump raised his right hand to swear that he’d “preserve, protect, and defend” the United States Constitution. Surprise! He quickly ignored his oath and continues to. Hourly. Upon taking the oath, Trump ordered his minions — guided by the extremist right-wing handbook, “Project 2025” — to carry out an across-the-board assault on the federal government and various private institutions. This assault continues. Millions of American citizens have already been harmed by Trump’s betrayal, and many more millions will be injured until his depredations are stopped. Welcome to the Federal Harm Registry! Initiated and managed by the Maryland Democratic Party, this registry offers an immediate remedy to Trump. Here’s tangible means to fight Trumpism. The Federal Harm Registry is designed to document the myriad adverse effects of Trump’s maladministration! It’s the tool to register every specific harm citizens have experienced or witnessed. Eastern Shore residents, no matter if we are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, must be active, not passive! Consider: As a college student, have you been denied a Pell grant? Has your family been denied SNAP benefits? As a Shore farmer, is your corn or soybean crop losing its value? As a Shore resident needing medical insurance, have you lost your Medicaid? Have you been harmed by work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps? Has your child’s vaccine become unavailable because of an HHS mandate? As a federal employee, have you been laid off or fired without cause? Have you been terminated from the U.S. military because of your sexual identity? Are Trump’s illegal tariffs forcing you spend more for food and other necessities? Do you know anyone adversely affected by the closure of Head Start for poor children, as well as child welfare, juvenile justice, and youth care programs? The Federal Harm Registry invites Marylanders to document each type of damage to them personally from harmful federal policies under Trump. The registry also offers Marylanders a megaphone to voice their frustrations and fears, and their vision for improving our country. The Federal Harm Registry is a space for Maryland residents to report their personal stories — cuts to health care, higher living costs, job losses, housing problems, civil rights attacks, or any other consequences of this administration’s harmful policies. These reports will document and provide a guide for the eventual reversal of what’s happening in Maryland and in D.C. So, take your first step to report any harm to you by contacting federalharmmd.com ! At federalharmmd.com, you will be able to: Write or record your story; Report any harm you’ve experienced, share an opinion, expose federal malpractices, and advocate for policies that help — not injure — Maryland families; and Help to publicize the Federal Harm Registry by sharing on Facebook, X, or LinkedIn. 

Salisbury Awaits Accountability as Mayor Taylor Promises Report on Fourth Car Accident

By CSES Staff • August 27, 2025
When Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor released a public statement on Aug. 4 following his involvement in a traffic incident with a pedestrian with a walker, he promised “a final report of facts in the next 10 days.” That deadline has now arrived, and city residents are waiting to see if the mayor will follow through on his promise. The Aug. 4 accident marked Taylor’s fourth vehicle-related incident since he took office less than two years ago, fueling public concern about what many describe as a troubling “pattern of recklessness.” In his statement, Taylor described the South Boulevard collision as “minor,” claiming that only the wheel of the pedestrian’s walker struck his vehicle and that the individual refused medical treatment. He emphasized his cooperation with the Maryland State Police investigation and insisted that “all protocols were followed.” But eyewitness testimony and photos circulating online continue to cast doubt on that account. One bystander alleged the mayor struck the pedestrian in the crosswalk and initially drove on “as if he had hit a cone” before returning to the scene. Images shared widely on social media show a shaken pedestrian, supported by his walker, while Taylor inspects his vehicle. The incident has renewed calls for transparency. Residents are demanding to know if mandatory post-accident procedures, including drug and alcohol testing for city employees, were applied to the mayor. “If this were a city worker, they’d be gone by now,” one commenter said. “Why does the mayor get special treatment?” Taylor says he wants to be “forthcoming” with citizens, stressing that the intersection where the accident occurred underscores the “need for continued effort for pedestrian safety.” As of press time, no final report has been released by the Maryland State Police or the Salisbury Police Department. The mayor’s office has not provided updates beyond his initial statement. For many in Salisbury, the delay only deepens frustration. “It’s about trust,” said one resident in a community forum. “Four accidents in two years is not normal. We’re tired of excuses.”

Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall Launches Exploratory Campaign for Congress in Maryland’s First District

By CSES Staff • August 27, 2025
Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall has announced the formation of an exploratory committee to consider if he should seek the Democratic nomination for Congress in Maryland’s First Congressional District, currently represented by Republican Andrew P. Harris. A two-term mayor and lifelong Eastern Shore resident, Tyndall said his decision reflects recognition of the challenges facing the region and his belief that the Eastern Shore needs a “commonsense Democrat” willing to prioritize solutions over partisan politics. “In a time of growing division and political extremes, it’s clear that Maryland’s First Congressional District needs more than partisan soundbites. It needs solutions,” Tyndall said in a statement on his campaign website, zacktyndall.com. “As mayor, I didn’t wait on Washington to act. I built consensus, cut red tape, and delivered results.” Tyndall pointed to his nearly decade-long tenure in local government, highlighting efforts to balance budgets, improve responsiveness during emergencies, and streamline municipal operations. He described his leadership as “rooted in community, not party.” In a social media post on Aug. 26, Tyndall elaborated on why he is testing the waters for a congressional run. “I have chosen to create a congressional exploratory committee because the people of Maryland’s First Congressional District deserve a representative who is not only visible and accessible but also responsive and a partner,” he wrote. “I believe that I am the person to help bring Eastern Shore values back to Washington.” Tyndall’s exploratory committee will focus on gathering feedback from residents of the district, which includes Harford County as well as the entire Eastern Shore. He said the goal is to determine if there is sufficient support and momentum to mount a competitive challenge to Harris in 2026. While holding the seat since 2011, Harris has faced mounting criticism over his alignment with far-right positions, including his recent vote against releasing the Epstein files. Tyndall acknowledged the uphill climb but said his candidacy would offer voters a new kind of leadership. “This exploratory phase is about one simple question: Can a commonsense Democrat, with deep local roots and a record of getting things done, offer voters a real alternative in 2026?” he said. Residents can provide input on issues and learn more about Tyndall’s background through his campaign website and social media channels .

Local Group Calls Out Harris Over Epstein Vote, Demands Accountability

By Gren Whitman • August 27, 2025
A local organization, Decency for District One, is increasing pressure on Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-MD1) for his vote against releasing the full Epstein files, saying constituents deserve answers about why their representative voted against transparency. Since July 24, the group has posted daily content on social media calling Harris to account. Every day, the page highlights his vote and presses the same question: Why did Harris oppose making public documents related to Jeffrey Epstein’s network of political and financial connections? “People in the First District deserve honesty,” said a spokesperson for Decency for District One. “When it comes to something as serious as the Epstein files, voting against disclosure raises real questions about judgment and accountability.” The campaign has been visible across Harris’s official Facebook page, where commenters now regularly flood his posts with demands for answers. The pattern has become so consistent that nearly every statement or press release from the congressman is met with renewed questions about the Epstein vote. Despite the growing attention, the major Eastern Shore media outlets have failed to report on Harris’s role in the vote or the backlash that has ensued. Advocates say that silence is part of the problem. “If this were happening anywhere else, the press would be asking hard questions,” the Decency for District One spokesperson said. “Here, it’s being left to everyday residents to raise their voices.” The group plans to continue posting daily until Harris explains his vote. In the meantime, frustration continues to build among constituents who feel ignored. “This isn’t about partisanship,” one supporter commented online. “It’s about whether our congressman believes the public has the right to know the truth.”
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