Congresswoman Lateefah Simon amd Build and Fight #5

KPFA - Hard Knock Radio

On this edition of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sits down with Congresswoman Lateefah Simon for a timely and urgent conversation about the devastating implications of the recently passed federal spending bill”dubbed by critics as the Big Ugly Bill. Representing Californias newly redrawn 12th Congressional District, Simon pulls no punches in breaking down what she calls an insidious attack on poor and working-class communities across the nation, particularly in the Bay Area.
A Budget of Brutality, Not Care

Simon outlines how the bill strips over $1 trillion from health care programs including Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and the Childrens Health Insurance Program. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, 17 million people will lose healthcare by 2034, and 90 million dollars in Planned Parenthood funding”including Oaklands Barbara Lee Health Center”has been cut immediately. In her words, they are literally kicking women in the neck.

SNAP benefits (aka food stamps) are also on the chopping block, along with $5 trillion in tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations. The bill simultaneously boosts ICE and Homeland Security by 19%, making ICE the largest federal law enforcement agency in the country. This is no accident, Simon says. This administration wants this country whiter and more male.
Local Impact: Bay Area on the Frontlines

Simon emphasizes that this bill directly harms people in her district. Over 35,000 residents are expected to lose healthcare, and 9,000 families may lose access to food assistance. This isnt abstract policy”its life and death for our communities, she says.

Simon points to the defunding of NIH clinical trials at Oakland Childrens Hospital as an example of how the bills cruelty extends even to children battling cancer. ICE, now armed with an expanded budget, is already escalating deportations, and Simon warns that marginalized diasporic communities”from Haitians to Armenians”are being targeted with little media attention or recourse.
Whats Next: Midterms, Mobilization, and Mutual Aid

With urgency and clarity, Simon stresses that the midterms are critical: If we dont win, we may not have a republic. She explains that Democrats have lost control of the House, Senate, and Executive Branch”and without the numbers, they lack subpoena power and oversight authority. Still, she remains committed to harm reduction, filing amendments (six on this bill alone), visiting detention centers, and working across the aisle when necessary.

But she also insists this cannot be a fight left to elected officials alone. Not one right was ever given to us without a fight, she reminds listeners, quoting Grace Lee Boggs and Wanda Johnson. Simon encourages folks to contact her office, stay politically engaged, and push all elected officials to be accountable.
The Role of Taxes: A Call for a Peace Dividend

Davey D and Simon also discuss the question of where taxpayer money goes”and where it should go. Echoing former Congresswoman Barbara Lee, they call for a peace dividend that funds education, housing, childcare, and diplomacy”not war and mass incarceration.

Simon closes the conversation grounded in faith and community: Injustice cannot stand forever. Im here every day fighting because I believe in our people.

Later on in the show we listen to Build and Fight series #5 with Kali Akuno and Thandi Chimerenga

For any listeners who need to reach out about casework or help contact Congresswoman Simon @ simon.house.gov and 510-763-0370 (Oakland office number)

Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.

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