‘Put families over billionaires’: Grandmother raising her grandkids shares her story as GOP pushes SNAP cuts
Mary Beth Cochran shared her story of how benefits like SNAP aided her in raising her four grandchildren as House Republicans’ budget resolution threatens these same benefits.
The budget resolution passed the House after all but one Republican representative voted in favor of it. It is still awaiting a Senate vote. Meanwhile, many Americans are being misled about its contents. Donald Trump supporters on X quickly began circulating false claims that the resolution eliminates taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security benefits. In reality, tips and overtime aren’t even mentioned in the bill. It simply sets the framework for legislators to potentially pursue no taxes on tips as it raises the federal deficit and calls for tax cuts. However, it does not outline which taxes will be cut.
Meanwhile, the bill outlines plans to cut $800 billion from the committee that oversees Medicaid and Medicare benefits and $230 billion from SNAP benefits. These benefits are being cut to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which primarily benefits the wealthy. Essentially, the GOP wants to take away low-income Americans’ benefits to fund tax cuts for the rich. Now, one woman is speaking out to let America know who the GOP’s budget resolution will hurt.
Mary Beth Cochran shares her story
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries invited Cochran to a press conference with House Democrats to share her story. Cochran revealed that she lives in Canton, North Carolina, which is still struggling to recover from Hurricane Helene’s devastation. She works part-time at a coin laundry, making $8/hr to help provide for her four grandchildren. Cochran gained custody of her four grandchildren, “ages 10, 12, 15 and 16, as their parents couldn’t care for them due to addiction, domestic violence, and homelessness.”
She stated, “Caring for my grandkids means the world to me, and I would not change it for the world.” However, she needs help providing for them, as she cannot do so on $8/hour while working part-time and raising four kids. Even with support from government programs, she says her “family is barely making it.” Sometimes, she has to skip filling her prescription to buy meals for her grandkids. Now, Republicans want to take away what little resources the government has given her.
Cochran explains, “Right now, I’m terrified because Republican leaders seem poised to take critical resources away from my family. Our children should be able to get the basic necessities they need. They should be able to go to the dentist and get their teeth cleaned. The simple things.” She called it “appalling” that Republicans want children to go hungry and to harm their education in exchange for tax cuts for billionaires. She implored lawmakers, “I’m here today to urge lawmakers to put families over billionaires and reject any cuts to the programs hardworking families like mine rely on.”
Put families over billionaires. It’s hard to imagine that anyone could disagree with this statement. It doesn’t matter how many lies Republicans tell about those on benefits being lazy or undeserving of them. They’ll never be able to hide the stories of countless real Americans like Cochran who have stepped up and worked relentlessly to give their children the best life possible. These are Americans who have already sacrificed and gone without to try to survive. Now, Republicans want to take away up to 9 million Americans’ SNAP benefits that they use to feed their children and grandchildren. Everyone should want to help grandmothers like Cochran. The fact that helping her and preserving her resources is considered controversial or political is an indication of how far America has fallen when it comes to basic human empathy.
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