This Thanksgiving, families across West Virginia will gather around the table and bow their heads in gratitude. But for too many of us, it’s getting harder to find something to be thankful for.

We are, of course, thankful for what matters most — our friends and families, the people who stand by us when times are tough. We’re grateful for the roof over our heads, the food on our tables, and the laughter that fills our homes, even when the world outside feels uncertain.

We’re thankful for neighbors who lend a helping hand, for the church dinners that make sure no one goes hungry, and for the resilience that runs deep in West Virginia’s hills and hollers.  These small blessings — love, community and connection — are what carry us through the hard times and remind us what we’re fighting for.

But times are hard right now. Really hard, and under H.R. 1 — the Big, Beautiful Bill — it will only get harder for West Virginians. People are working full-time jobs — sometimes more than one — and still can’t make ends meet. The cost of living has soared, while paychecks have barely budged. A trip to the grocery store evokes a glimpse at one’s bank balance before completing the clicklist. Gas prices creep higher. Rent keeps climbing. The electric bill is a shock every month. Families are cutting corners just to stay afloat — skipping meals, rationing medicine and hoping nothing goes wrong, because one unexpected expense can send everything crashing down. It’s something I’ve been hearing everywhere lately — the same frustrations, the same fears — especially over the last six weeks.

It shouldn’t be this way in America. It especially shouldn’t be this way in West Virginia, where people pride themselves on hard work, faith and taking care of their neighbors. But instead of finding relief this holiday season, we’re watching Congress make choices that will make things worse.

While families are struggling to put food on the table, our leaders in Washington are choosing to take health care away from millions of Americans — including tens of thousands of West Virginians. Cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act subsidies will push people out of coverage, forcing parents to choose between taking a sick child to the doctor or keeping the lights on.

And this isn’t abstract — it’s happening right now. When I re-enrolled in my own ACA marketplace plan earlier this month, my premium had increased by 410%. Let that sink in. Four hundred and ten percent. The same plan — except without dental and vision insurance that I have today — but now costing over four times more. I’m not alone. More than 67,000 West Virginians rely on the ACA for health insurance, and many are seeing staggering increases they simply can’t afford. These are real people — neighbors, teachers, small business owners — now forced to decide between health care and survival.

It doesn’t have to be this way. These are policy choices — deliberate decisions to favor the wealthy and powerful over ordinary people. Congress found the money for new tax breaks for millionaires and big corporations, but somehow there’s “not enough” to help working families see a doctor or afford their prescriptions.

The truth is, this Thanksgiving, West Virginians are paying more and getting less. Grocery prices are up. Gas is up. Rent is up. Prescription drug prices are up. But wages? They’re not keeping up. And when families finally do reach for help — for Medicaid, SNAP, housing assistance or affordable coverage through the ACA marketplace — they’re told, “sorry, you’re on your own.”

That’s not gratitude. That’s greed, dressed up in a suit and tie.

When Congress votes to take away health care from people who clean their offices, deliver their mail, care for their children and stock their grocery store shelves, they’re not balancing a budget — they’re breaking a promise. They’re saying the lives of ordinary Americans are expendable. They’re saying it’s acceptable for a child’s asthma to go untreated, for a parent to skip insulin, for a senior to face eviction because medical bills drained their savings.

West Virginians know better. We know that gratitude isn’t just about counting blessings — it’s about sharing them. It’s about making sure everyone has enough to eat, a safe place to live and the ability to see a doctor when they’re sick.

This Thanksgiving, as our leaders in Washington pat themselves on the back for “fiscal responsibility,” let’s remember who’s really paying the price. Not the wealthy. Not the lobbyists. Not the corporations that got yet another round of tax breaks. It’s the single mom in Beckley who lost her health coverage. The retired miner in Logan who can’t afford his blood pressure medication. The family in Charleston wondering how they’ll pay next month’s rent.

So, this year, let’s tell the truth: there’s not a lot to be thankful for when our leaders choose cruelty over compassion. But there is still something to fight for.

Because West Virginians don’t give up easily. We believe in looking out for one another. We believe that every person deserves health care, dignity and a fair shot at a good life.

And we’ll keep fighting — through every cut, every challenge and every broken promise — until compassion guides policy again.