WASHINGTON — As Republicans prepare to shepherd President Donald Trump’s budget and tax agenda through Congress, hundreds of demonstrators showed up on Capitol Hill Wednesday to voice their opposition to the plan and the continued federal funding cuts by the Trump administration.

“They're trying to fight every nickel they can to fund tax breaks for the wealthy, tax breaks for billionaires, tax breaks for the largest corporations in the world. That's their agenda,” said Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., one of the handful of lawmakers who spoke at the rally. “But they know they have to pay for it somehow. And so what they're doing is executing a plan that's going to make working families have to struggle even more.”

What You Need To Know

  • Democrats are honing in on the Trump administration's policies and trying to turn dissatisfaction into grassroots action 

  • The Families Over Billionaires Campaign held a rally at the Capitol Wednesday, featuring Democratic lawmakers and every day Americans that say they would suffer from Republicans proposed policies

  • Republicans have been adamant that their budget proposal would not force cuts to programs like Medicaid, but a report from the Congressional Budget Office suggests the only way Republicans can meet their topline budget numbers is to make cuts to the health care program for lower-income Americans

  • Democrats have a tough road ahead to try and make a dent in Trump's policies, with Congressional Republicans eyeing a legislative tactic to try and pass their agenda without the need for Democratic support 

Republicans have been adamant that their budget proposal would not force cuts to social safety net programs. But a report from the Congressional Budget Office suggests the only way Republicans can meet their topline budget numbers is by cuts to Medicaid, the health care program for lower-income Americans.

Josephine Rios, a nursing assistant from Orange County, Calif., shared a photo of her grandson Elijah with the crowd. Elijah, she told them, has cerebral palsy.

“Elijah’s life-saving medication is $5,000 a month,” she said, getting emotional. “I work at Kaiser Permanente Irvine at the surgery center. I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t afford $5,000 a month. So these cuts are very personal to me.”

If Republicans go through with these cuts, Rios says, it will likely result in Elijah being homebound, as they will be unable to afford his therapies. That could bring a whole host of other health issues with it.

“What would we not do for our children? And once you become a grandmother, I think we love our grandkids more than the children. I didn't think that was possible, but damn it, it's possible. You know, what would we not do for our grandkids?” Rios asked.

Democrats, who have limited power in Congress with the current Republican majority, have faced criticism in recent weeks for not doing more to push back against Trump and his agenda. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did not mince words on Wednesday.

“Some of these sycophants – they believe that they work for Donald Trump. Congress doesn’t work for Donald Trump. We work for the American people,” said Jeffries. “We believe in an economy that works for everyday Americans. They want an economy of the billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires. That’s why we’re going to stop the GOP tax scam dead in its tracks and put families over billionaires.”

As to how Democrats in the minority in both the House and Senate will be able to stop Republicans from instituting their budget plans remains to be seen. Republican leadership is eyeing reconciliation, a tool to avoid the Senate filibuster and its 60-vote threshold, therefore negating the need for any Democratic buy-in, to pass the legislation.