Caught Trying
What Cory Booker Is Doing and What Utah’s Senators Should Be
"And so we all have a responsibility, I believe, to do something different, to cause — as [late Rep.] John Lewis said — 'good trouble,' and that includes me." - Sen. Cory Booker
While Senator Cory Booker is still standing (going on hour 24 as we type) still standing, still speaking, Utah’s Senators are saying nothing. He’s taken the floor not to block a vote, not to twist arms or play politics, but to shine a light. This is a marathon floor speech in the truest sense. Booker is using his time, his voice, and frankly his bladder (or a really good adult diaper), to name the truth about what’s happening in this country.
He’s calling out the full scope of harm being done by Trump and his allies across healthcare, the economy, immigration, democracy, and more. He’s talking about the GOP’s obsession with Elon Musk, DOGE memes, and dismantling the federal government all while families are struggling to afford groceries, prescriptions, and rent.
Meanwhile, here in Utah, our congressional representatives are sitting silent. Not a word from Mike Lee, who seems far more animated about canceling diversity programs than preserving democracy. Not a peep from John Curtis, who’s not standing up for Utah’s public lands or environment, even as Trump’s cuts and rollbacks take a toll. Not even a side-eye from Blake Moore, whose biggest recent claim to fame is co-chairing the DOGE caucus in Congress. Seriously.
But Cory Booker is standing up and saying: this is madness. And he’s doing it for all of us. He’s standing up for working-class Americans, for immigrants, for students, for public servants, for people living paycheck to paycheck, and that includes a whole lot of Utahns.
We’ll say it plainly: it's time someone is caught trying. We won’t always be perfect. But we can’t afford to stay quiet.
Stand Up, Speak Out: From Pumpernickel to Pulse to Booker
This isn’t the first time someone’s taken the Senate floor to prove a point. But let’s talk about how this one is different.
The longest filibuster in U.S. history was by Strom Thurmond: 24 hours straight against the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Fueled by pumpernickel, hamburger meat and orange juice, famously. A horrid cause, but a record nonetheless. (Which I think Senator Booker might just break any minute here but this isn’t going to stop us from sending out this email).
In 2016, Senate Democrats filibustered for 15 hours after the Pulse nightclub shooting. In 2017, Ted Cruz held the floor for 21 hours unsuccessfully in order to defund the Affordable Care Act. Those were dramatic, emotional attempts to block a vote or demand one.
But what Booker’s doing now isn’t about a single bill. It’s not about stopping a vote or holding up funding. It’s about the slow-motion unraveling of our democracy: one policy, one executive order, one MAGA meme at a time.
This isn’t just a procedural delay. It’s a literal moral stand. A one-man act of resistance. And while Utah’s Senators do nothing, we’re going to tell you what we think they should be talking about: what is happening and who it’s hurting. Especially in Utah.
Lets go topic by topic.
HEALTHCARE
Utah’s healthcare system is being held together with duct tape and a prayer and the Trump administration keeps handing us scissors. For families across this state, healthcare isn’t some distant policy debate. It’s about whether you can afford to fill your kid’s asthma prescription or get care without driving hours to a rural clinic. And every time Trump’s team takes aim at Medicaid or public health, Utahns pay the price.
353,000 Utahns rely on Medicaid and CHIP. Under a state trigger law, if federal Medicaid funding is cut, Utah will automatically roll back coverage for tens of thousands. That’s not a glitch, that’s policy. (Gardner Institute)
Trump’s team cut $98 million in COVID-related public health grants, forcing layoffs for 17 Salt Lake County employees, 37 state employees, and a total of 187 job cuts, including nurses and epidemiologists. That means fewer people tracking diseases, fewer experts coordinating community response. (KPCW)
In a move that felt like an April Fool’s joke with real-world consequences, the Trump administration notified clinics, including Planned Parenthood Utah, of a freeze on nearly $35 million in Title X funds, effective April 1. Title X is the federal program that helps low-income women access birth control, cancer screenings, and basic reproductive healthcare. But under Trump, Utah was one of eight states where funding was cut off entirely, leaving thousands of patients in the lurch. (Ms.)
The University of Utah already lost $38 million for health disparities research, as Trump’s team targeted anything tied to DEI or equity. That meant job losses, stalled research on infant mortality and chronic disease, and less support for rural and underserved communities. It could continue to lose even more. (SLTrib)
SOCIAL SECURITY
Social Security isn’t some distant federal program, it’s how nearly 480,000 Utahns pay rent, buy groceries, and stay afloat. These aren’t abstract numbers. These are your grandparents, your neighbors, maybe even you. And under Trump’s administration, the message has been loud and clear: fend for yourself.
Trump ordered that paper checks end by Sept. 2025, affecting 3,100 Utahns who still rely on mail instead of digital banking. These are often seniors without internet access or a nearby bank. It’s an inconvenience at best and a disaster for the most vulnerable. (SSA)
The Provo Social Security office was listed for accelerated closure under Trump’s cost-cutting plan. That’s one less place for seniors to get help navigating their benefits in a state already short on federal offices. (SLTrib)
Sen. John Curtis has acknowledged that Social Security is headed toward a crisis and plans to introduce reforms aimed at protecting future beneficiaries. His proposal includes gradually raising the eligibility age and adjusting taxes on higher earners, but he says current retirees and those near retirement wouldn't be affected. Still, Utahns deserve clarity, not conflicting headlines. (Deseret News)
EDUCATION
Utah families know how much our kids depend on good schools, strong teachers, and safe learning environments. But what happens when a president tries to eliminate the entire Department of Education?
Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, raising alarms about how Utah’s schools will be affected. Federal education funds support:
$81 million annually for Title I, helping more than 180,000 Utah students in high-poverty schools
$155 million for special education programs serving roughly 100,000 students statewide (KUTV)
The University of Utah could lose $43.5 million in medical research funding, cut because the research focused on rural access and racial health disparities. The kind of studies that actually save Utah lives. (SLTrib)
Utah’s Republican legislature, backed by Trump-aligned politics, banned diversity offices on public campuses. That meant student centers were closed, mentoring programs were ended, and young people were told they didn’t belong. Black, LGBTQ+, and first-gen students lost vital safe spaces. BSU, AASA, and Pride groups lost university sponsorship and were left to fundraise from scratch. (Hechinger Report)
ECONOMY + LAYOFFS
Utahns love to talk about how we’re a great place to do business, and that’s true. But when national economic policy is written by people more focused on memes than manufacturing, Utah families suffer.
The IRS processing center in Ogden, one of the largest federal employers in Utah, lost about 100 jobs under Trump’s federal workforce cuts. These weren’t just desk jobs. These were your neighbors, friends, parents, packing up their cubicles while our representatives nodded along. And there could be more to come. As many as 1,000. (KSL)
Trump didn’t just go after China. He hit Canada too, imposing a 25% tariff. That will drive up the cost of raw materials, like lumber, for Utah builders. In a state already struggling with a housing shortage, this pours gas on the fire. “We can’t afford to have raw materials jump so much, so quickly,” said World Trade Center Utah’s president. (Deseret News)
Utah car dealers are sounding the alarm: if Trump’s proposed auto tariffs go through, the price of a new car could jump by $4,000 to $10,000. That’s not a trim package, that’s a whole other used car. (ABC4)
Utah exported $17.4 billion in goods in 2023 and imported $18.6 billion. Nearly 430,000 Utah jobs are tied to international trade. 1 in 4 jobs. Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada, China, and even U.S. allies like the EU risked all of it. Our biggest export partners—after the UK—are Canada, Mexico, and China. All three were tariff targets. (Gardner Policy Institute, Deseret News)
IMMIGRATION & REFUGEES
Utah has a proud legacy of welcoming refugees and immigrants. But during the Trump years, and again now under his second term, we watched that legacy be hollowed out by cruelty disguised as policy.
7,090 Dreamers live in Utah. When Trump tried to kill DACA, it wasn’t just a policy, it was a message. You don’t belong. Teachers, nurses, college students all left in limbo. What he plans to do in his second term remains to be seen. (American Immigration Council)
This year, the federal government empowered ICE to detain people at schools, churches, and hospitals. In response, Salt Lake City schools had to reassure families they wouldn’t cooperate. Imagine being a kid worried your parents might be taken during pickup. (SLTrib)
HB226 was passed here in Utah to align with Trump’s deportation goals. It raised jail penalties specifically to trigger deportations of legal immigrants. Even some Utah Republicans called it “the worst bill of the year.” (SLTrib)
FOREIGN POLICY & NATIONAL DEFENSE
Foreign policy might feel far away, but the ripple effects reach our jobs, our economy, and our future.
Trump’s trade wars slammed into key Utah industries especially aerospace, farming, and mining. These aren’t just abstract sectors on a spreadsheet; they’re some of our most reliable, good-paying jobs. Utah is home to major aerospace players like Boeing and Lockheed Martin, with over 30,000 jobs in aerospace manufacturing alone. Tariffs threaten all of it, increasing costs for U.S. manufacturers, undercutting our competitiveness abroad, and shrinking demand for our exports. Bottom line is higher prices for businesses and consumers here at home, and fewer opportunities for Utah workers. (Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, KUTV)
Utah companies tied to Ukraine’s defense supply chain are holding their breath. With Trump’s isolationist streak, they fear a sudden pullback could sever those partnerships and hurt their companies significantly. Over $120 million in products have already been sold from Utah. (KUER)
Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Blake Moore have continued to back Trump’s "America First" foreign policy, even when it jeopardizes Utah’s economy and strategic relationships abroad. (Fox News)
Good Trouble Starts Here
The numbers speak for themselves: thousands of Utahns have lost jobs, healthcare coverage, and access to essential services under Trump’s policies. Cuts to Medicaid and public health have left clinics understaffed. Tariffs have cost aerospace workers and builders their paychecks. DACA recipients are living in fear. Seniors are navigating a broken Social Security system. Students have lost mentors, programs, and support. These aren’t hypotheticals, they’re your neighbors, your coworkers, your family.
And through it all? Crickets or justifications from Utah’s Congressional delegation. When our communities needed defenders, they got silence. When our economy needed advocates, they got nothing. But today, Cory Booker reminded us what real leadership looks like. It’s standing up when it’s hard. It’s using your platform to speak truth, not pander. It’s being willing to get caught trying—not for headlines, but for people.
So let’s take that challenge to heart. Let’s speak up for the communities being left behind, the families being priced out, the workers being pushed aside. Let’s show up even when our Senators won’t. Because Utah deserves better and we’re not waiting around for permission.
We won’t always be perfect. But we will be caught trying.
We may not be in Congress. But we’re here. We’re watching. We’re speaking. We’re organizing.
And if you’re with us? Come on. Let’s make some good trouble.
