DAVENPORT, Fla. (WFLA) — A community town hall with the Florida Policy Institute (FPI) shined a light on how they say proposed federal cuts to health care programs could impact Floridians.

The White House has repeatedly stated it will not cut Medicare or Medicaid benefits. On its website, the Trump Administration asked, “What kind of a person doesn’t support eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending that ultimately costs taxpayers more?”

J.J. Homes has cerebral palsy. He speaks through a tablet and uses his nose to type out his words. During the town hall Wednesday, he didn’t hold back.

“My life is not waste, fraud, or abuse,” Homes said. “I felt scared with what I heard. I didn’t understand why President Trump, Elon Musk and Republicans in congress see my life as less valuable.”

The non-partisan FPI group said they aren’t focusing on what’s been said but what’s being done. They reference the budget resolution showing trillions of dollars in cuts to those programs.

The organization presented data showing in Polk County 199,700 people receive Medicaid benefits and 154,700 participate in SNAP or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

FPI said the impacts of not having these programs are being misconstrued under the idea of being efficient.

“It helps some people but also needs some improvements, and to entertain cuts instead of having serious conversations about how to improve the program feels like the wrong way to go,” said Scott Darius, the Executive Director of Florida Voices for Health.

FPI said the federal government always paid for SNAP, and not having it could devastate the state’s budget, impacting everyone.

“The state of Florida doesn’t have the dollars in terms of the cuts that they’re looking at that fill the gap,” said Holly Bullard with FPI.

People at the town hall shared how their lives would look different without Medicaid.

“If it had not been for the health insurance that we receive through the Medicaid, I don’t know how we would’ve afforded health care for our newborn daughter,” said one woman.

They said they hope government leaders realize it’s more than just numbers on a sheet at risk here.

“Medicaid means that I have health care. It also means that I can get services that allow me to live in my community. It absolutely saved my life,” Homes said.

FPI is looking to expand Medicaid, and they ask people to sign petitions for the plan to be added to the ballot in 2026. They also encourage people to reach out to congressional leaders with their stories of how these cuts could impact their lives.