Coast to coast, people are rallying to stop billionaires and send a loud message to Congress amid the fallout from the Big Beautiful Bill.

Fair Share America and Unrig Our Economy ended their “Billionaire Giveaway Bus Tour” in Bakersfield on July 14 with a final event at Bakersfield College. The tour spotlighted how tax loopholes and political power are draining essential resources from American communities.

Fair Share America, an organization advocating for tax fairness, said people are powering the movement because they believe lawmakers—including Bakersfield Rep. David Valadao—have sided with billionaires instead of the working-class families they represent.

“Right now we are in a critical phase of a fight where members of Congress…sided with the billionaire class and voted for a reconciliation budget that will throw millions of people off of healthcare,” said Crowell. “Congress has completely underestimated what they’ve unleashed…people are really, really angry and they feel betrayed.”

Crowell shared her personal story, recalling how she lived paycheck to paycheck as a single mom. She said she never imagined she would one day lead a 24-day bus tour from New York to Bakersfield.

The rally urged public officials to prioritize their communities over personal ambition. Organizers and attendees expressed frustration with what they described as repeated betrayals by those in power, sending a direct message to Valadao and other lawmakers who voted for legislation they say will “gut” vital public services.

“You have not just failed your constituents, you have dishonored this country,” said Emily Stinnett, caregiver and member of UDW.

Stinnett described how billionaires have crushed people under debt, shrunk opportunities, torn families apart, and left children without food, while blaming the hungry for being too poor. She further accused Valadao of abandoning his own community for “crumbs from the powerful.”

For some community members, the rally served as a wake-up call to get involved and protest following the announcement of the Big Beautiful Bill.

Devin Broussard, a Bakersfield resident, said she attended the event after her union sent an alert. She wanted to show support and demand accountability from lawmakers whose decisions directly affect the community.

“I felt myself being activated by the actions of this administration, and it’s not just this administration, it’s also the conservative movement towards becoming more right-leaning in an extreme way that is very harmful to the majority of us,” said Broussard. “This year has been the beginning of my step into political activism. Before all of this, I didn’t attend any rallies, but it’s needed, it’s necessary.”

Broussard said witnessing the movement gave her hope and helped her feel less alone and more empowered.

The rally in Bakersfield marked not just the final stop of the “Billionaire Giveaway Bus Tour,” but also a renewed call to action for communities feeling the weight of injustice. As frustration mounts over policies that favor the wealthy, organizers and attendees are channeling their anger into advocacy, aiming to build momentum that stretches far beyond the tour itself.