The question for elected officials: Does it help working families?

As members of the Mississippi Legislature, our first responsibility is to stand up for an America and a Mississippi that work for all of us, not just the wealthy few. That’s what we’ll be listening for in President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday night. And that’s what we and our Democratic colleagues have been fighting for at our state Capitol.

So far, what we’ve seen and heard from the Trump administration is not encouraging as to how it relates to helping working Mississippians. Our caucus supports raising the minimum wage; the president opposes raising the minimum wage, despite the fact that it would allow every person who works 40 hours per week to afford the basics. As one of his first acts, he moved to eliminate a rule that requires financial advisers to recommend what’s best for their clients, not their own wallets. We believe working Mississippians deserve better, just like each and every American.

Although the president claims he wants to extend health insurance to everyone and lower deductibles, his administration issued a regulation that will raise the cost of premiums, increase deductibles and take away health insurance from millions of Americans. In fact, every replacement plan for the Affordable Care Act that Congressional Republicans have floated would likewise take health care away from working families, tax health benefits at work and allow insurance companies to deny coverage to people with pre-existing health conditions. We just don’t believe the president’s supporters in Mississippi expected this.

For those of us who wrestle with the state budget, the worst appears yet to come. President Trump and Congressional leaders intend to slash $1 trillion from state funding for Medicaid, which provides critical health coverage to Mississippi children, working families, seniors and residents with disabilities. This action will have a devastating impact on families and on our state budget, because we will be forced to either make up the difference with our diminishing state revenues, or deny our fellow Mississippians much-needed health care. Many of us represent impoverished communities in our state, and it is heartbreaking to consider what will happen if the decision is made to take away health care for these vulnerable residents. Furthermore, serious cuts to Medicaid will have a devastating impact on already cash-strapped community hospitals. Again, we just don’t think the Mississippians who supported Trump had this personal devastation in mind.

You may recall that we presented a slate of actions we believed would benefit all Mississippi families at the beginning of our 2017 Legislative session. At this writing, none of those ideas is still alive. We believe that’s because our agenda does not match the agenda that is coming out of Washington and influencing what happens in Jackson.

Nevertheless, we will persist. The people of Mississippi deserve for their elected officials to stand up for our families. As a caucus, we will continue to stand up for the causes and legislative actions that will make life better for all Mississippians. We cannot and we will not be silent.

A healthy, educated workforce is necessary if we are ever going to improve Mississippi’s economy. While the rest of the nation looks to us to lead in all areas of the arts, from music to writing, to the stage, the screen and the visual arts, and expects us to be at the forefront of technological and health care innovation, alongside our worldwide reputation for patriotism, we cannot continue to maintain this standing unless we pay attention to what will create jobs, provide excellent educational opportunities, promote a healthy citizenry and cherish our abundant natural resources.

The Mississippi Legislative Democratic Caucuses believe that the more families we include in our economy, with more of us being able to contribute to our full potential, the more we all benefit and the more our communities thrive.

What is the test for effective elected officials like us, our colleagues and even the president? Helping working families, not just the wealthiest 1 percent or corporate CEOs. We will persist in our fight for families at the Mississippi Capitol and in our districts at home. Our fellow Mississippians deserve no less.

This story was originally published February 26, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "The question for elected officials: Does it help working families?."