WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) have concluded a day-long sit-in on the US Capitol steps that began at sunrise today, calling Americans to action to protect Medicaid and other vital safety net programs from devastating cuts proposed in Trump and Congressional Republicans’ budget bill.

With Congress returning to session tomorrow, Republican leaders have made clear their intention to use the coming weeks to advance a reckless budget scheme to President Trump’s desk that seeks to gut Medicaid, food assistance and basic needs programs that help people, all to give tax breaks to billionaires. Given what’s at stake, these could be some of the most consequential weeks for seniors, kids and families in generations.

The sit-in – which began at 6:14am ET this morning with Booker and Jeffries opening a live streamed conversation with their social media followers as the sun was rising over the Capitol  – saw numerous guest speakers and passers-by participate, including families who rely on critical programs like Medicaid, people who administer nutrition programs that keep Americans from going hungry, union leaders who fight for fair wages and working conditions, experts on Social Security and civil rights, and Senators and members of Congress.

The live stream concluded at 6:35pm ET, after more than 12 hours. 

“Budgets are more than just numbers in a spreadsheet—they are moral documents,” said Senator Booker. “They reveal what we value, who we protect, and what we stand for. That’s why I came here today: to sit-in at a sacred civic space, to make clear the moral and practical stakes of the Trump budget proposal, and to call others to action. Republicans in Congress are proposing cuts that will take food from children, healthcare from the sick, and dignity from those already struggling. It’s wrong. To stop it, we all must say so—clearly, courageously, and together. Speaking out and speaking up is how we will convince four Republicans in the House and Senate to do the right thing and vote no.”

“Republicans are crashing the economy in real time,” said House Democratic Leader Jeffries. “Now, they want to jam a reckless budget down the throats of the American people that will end Medicaid as we know it, destroy Social Security and rip food from the mouths of children, seniors and veterans. As Democrats, we’re going to continue to stand on the side of the American people and we will not rest until we bury this reckless Republican budget in the ground.”

For millions of Americans, Sundays are a day of faith, spirituality and moral reflection. In that spirit, Booker and Jeffries launched their sit-in this morning — an urgent conversation with the American people to focus on our common values, our faith traditions, and the moral moment facing our nation.

Over the course of the day, Booker, Jeffries, and participants spoke to our shared American values and our nation’s religious and moral underpinnings, and how the Republican budget bill is antithetical to these beliefs. They also affirmed to Americans that their voices not only matter, but are needed in this moment in order to stop these harmful cuts.

The conversation was live-streamed on multiple platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

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