Iowa Democrats rally to ‘Kill the Bill’ over GOP spending package ahead of Trump’s visit

Summary

• Iowa Democrats held a “Kill the Bill” rally protesting the “One Big Beautiful Bill” in Congress.
• Attendees voiced concerns about potential cuts to healthcare, education, and rural services.
• The rally coincided with former President Trump’s visit to the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

Under a blazing July sun, more than 100 protesters gathered at Colby Park Pavilion in Windsor Heights for the Iowa Democratic Party’s “Kill the Bill” rally to protest the “big, beautiful bill” passed by the House of Representatives later that afternoon.

Many wore blue shirts and held signs, including “Rural Iowa Deserves Hospitals” and a sign depicting President Donald Trump topped with a Burger King-style crown and the words “Another beautiful lie, a real lie.”

Others gathered in the few shaded areas until Democratic Party Chairwoman Rita Hart urged the crowd to move on.

“We really appreciate your presence on this hot day, but this is for a good cause,” Hart said. “Can you imagine Donald Trump coming to Iowa today just so we can tell him what we think about this big, bad, heavy budget bill?” she said, prompting applause and nods.

The rally coincides with Trump’s visit to the Iowa State Fairgrounds on July 3 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the America 250 Commission.

But protesters say Trump’s tax cuts and spending plan will hurt Iowans, especially Medicaid recipients.

“Medicaid was the backbone of Charlie’s health insurance,” said Nancy Baker Curtis, a teacher in the audience, standing beside her son Charlie, who has been hospitalized for 30 days after being diagnosed with neonatal sepsis. “I want you to look at my son’s face, see his beautiful blue eyes and bright blue glasses, and promise him that these budget cuts won’t affect his access to care.”

Nearby, several retirees were distributing leaflets explaining the bill’s cuts to rural hospitals and nursing homes.

“Without Medicaid to cover the cost of insulin, he’s going to die,” said Sandy Holland, 61, chairwoman of the Audubon County Democratic Party and a rural nurse, describing her 36-year-old son’s struggle to access lifesaving medication in a community without a health clinic.

But some attendees felt the rally was too short and too late.

Mike Reck, 69, a retired computer science professor at Drake University, held up a neon sign reading “No Pain, No Gain/Our Pain, His Gain” and declared, “This rally is called ‘Dollar Late, Day Late, Dollar Less.'”

Democratic candidates used the opportunity to promote their campaigns.

Jennifer Converst, state representative and Democratic candidate for Iowa’s 3rd District, said Republican incumbent Zach Nunn “still has little chance of being voted out.” But today, Nunn will vote to raise energy and health care costs, reduce access to care, and make it harder for people like Charlie (Baker Curtis) to get the care they deserve.

Sarah Trone Garriott, state senator and candidate for Iowa’s 3rd District: “These aren’t just numbers. These are people.” These are our neighbors, and 100,000 of them will lose their health coverage. This means the uninsured will flock to emergency rooms, while hospitals will seek charity care.”

Other protests were planned for Thursday, coinciding with Trump’s visit and the “big, beautiful bill,” including an “Impeach, Convict, Remove 47 on Day 3” rally organized by the women’s rights organization BxtchesGetStuffDone at the Grand Gate entrance to the Iowa State Fairgrounds, and a roadside billboard campaign organized by Rural Voices USA in Des Moines to highlight what it calls “Trump’s farm crisis.”

A protest at Cowles Commons, as well as a rally by the “People’s Agenda” coalition, took place.

At Cowles Commons, about 75 people gathered for a coalition press conference organized by the Iowa Interfaith Alliance, Indivisible 515, and the Iowa Farmers Union, among others.

Participants held up fans reading “I’m for taxing the rich,” while a ginger cat sat on a bench. A costumed inflatable figure smoked a cigar over a large dollar sign. Nearby, a member of the crowd held a trash bag reading “DUMP TRUMP”

Gabriela Fuentes, senior advocacy strategist for Planned Parenthood North Central, said the bill’s budget cuts would have a severe impact on Iowa’s most marginalized groups: women, LGBTQ+ people, Black and Latino residents, young people, and rural communities. She added that Iowa has the lowest percentage of ob-gyns in the country, a shortage that already limits access to reproductive and prenatal health care in rural areas.

Matt Russell of the Iowa Farmers Federation called the bill “one of the worst pieces of legislation ever passed for rural America.”

He added that federation members have been lobbying the Iowa congressional delegation all week to vote against the bill.

“SNAP is a lifeline for rural Iowans. It’s also a lifeline for rural grocery stores. “As farmers, we grow food. Grocery stores sell food and families buy it, and it’s very effective at bringing those three pieces of our food and agriculture system together,” he said. “This law undermines all three pillars of that system.”