About 15 people held signs and demonstrated Tuesday outside the downtown Warren office of Joyce, R-Bainbridge. There were no Joyce staff members inside his office at the time of the protest.

Joyce’s office declined Tuesday to comment on the demonstration.

Alva May, a Warren retiree, said: “I’m concerned they’re going to cut Social Security and I’m going to lose my income. I’m very passionate about what’s going on.”

May said the $4.5 trillion in tax cuts supported by President Donald Trump, a Republican, “is corporate greed. I’m very concerned about what could happen. Medicaid could be cut and I’m worried about that.”

At a demonstration outside the Warren office of U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, Alva May of Warren said she is very concerned about possible cuts to Social Security and Medicare. (Photo by David Skolnick)

Trump and congressional Republicans insist the cost of extending tax breaks will be partly paid for by significant reductions in federal spending. Senate Republicans want to make the tax cuts permanent while the House GOP wants them to expire in 10 years.

Some Republicans want to overhaul Medicaid.

Trump has vowed that those who receive Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security will not see a reduction in benefits.

The House passed a budget resolution Feb. 13 by a 217-215 vote to reduce the federal budget by at least $880 billion over the next 10 years. The budget doesn’t specifically mention Medicaid, but it is part of the discussion unlike Medicare.

Jeff Dieringer, SEIU District 1199’s political and research strategist, said at the demonstration about the $880 billion in proposed cuts, “They say it won’t come from Medicaid, but I don’t see where else these large spending cuts are going to come from. Rep. Joyce voted for the budget resolution. It technically doesn’t say Medicaid or Medicare directly in the bill. But I’m looking at the math and the analysis and I’m not sure how they’re going to pay for it unless they add $4 trillion to the U.S. debt over the next 10 years with these cuts. It’s important to mention the tax cuts are for billionaires and corporations.”

Jeff Dieringer, SEIU District 1199 political and research strategist, talks on the phone to a staff member of U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, about concerns the union and its supporters have about possible cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid as well as the firings of federal workers and President Donald Trump’s trade policies. There was no one at the Republican congressman’s office Tuesday, the same day a demonstration took place outside it. (Photo by David Skolnick)

Dieringer added: “The tax cuts they want to pass don’t provide relief for everyday Americans. It’s mainly for the top 1% so we’re essentially taking away health care for children, people with disabilities and seniors to give a handout to the rich.”

Dorothy Fulmer of Youngstown, who attended Tuesday’s event, said: “I’m protesting what they’re doing to our rights. They want to go after Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. We should tax the billionaires at the same percentage that we’re being taxed. They’re going to get tax cuts and we’re going to pay for them.”

Most Americans would get some relief from the tax cuts, but they will provide more relief for those who are wealthy.

Also at Tuesday’s demonstration was Michael Murphy, the Youngstown-area president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3448, which represents 56 Social Security field offices in Ohio. Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, headed by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, is looking to close Social Security field offices.

Murphy said: “Reduced budgets and staffing already undermine Social Security employees’ ability to serve the public. For over a decade, they have been asked to do far more with less. These Social Security employees serve this community. They are your neighbors, customers and friends and they too are personally invested in the local economy. Wage loss affects all of us.”

SEIU is demonstrating this week in front of district offices of House Republicans. The first was U.S. Rep. Mike Carey, R-Columbus, on Monday. SEIU will be at the district office today of U.S. Rep. Michael Turner, R-Dayton; in West Virginia on Thursday; and Friday at the Canfield district office of U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Salem.

SEIU District 1199 represents about 25,000 health care, social service and public sector workers in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.