RI GOP Chairman Joe Powers Slams 'Hands Off' Protest: 'The Real Fight Should Be 'Hands Off Our Money'

Warwick, RI - In response to today’s so-called “Hands Off” protest held across Rhode Island, Republican Party Chairman Joe Powers issued a direct and unapologetic statement condemning the misguided focus of the protest and the political machine fueling it.

“Let’s be crystal clear, this ‘Hands Off’ movement isn’t about protecting people, it’s about protecting political privilege,” said Chairman Powers. “If these protesters really cared about what’s hurting Rhode Islanders, they’d be marching with signs that say ‘Hands Off Our Money.’ But instead, they’ve fallen for the latest round of D.C.-manufactured propaganda, spoon-fed by the Democrat Party and repeated verbatim by our very own Congressional delegation.”

Chairman Powers, echoing the common-sense conservatism of President Ronald Reagan, added, “It’s not the people exposing waste, abuse, and fraud who are the problem-it’s the waste, abuse, and fraud itself. Why are the Democrats working so hard to defend bloated spending, unchecked bureaucracies, and programs that fail the people they’re supposed to help? What exactly are they hiding? Is it because their taxpayer-funded debit card finally has a daily limit on it?”

Today’s protests, which claimed to defend social safety nets and public programs, failed to address the very real issue plaguing those systems: mismanagement and political gamesmanship.

“It’s offensive to hardworking Rhode Islanders to see political operatives parading as grassroots advocates while demanding no oversight, no accountability, and no limits on spending,” Powers said. “Every dollar wasted by Washington is a dollar stolen from taxpayers who are working harder than ever to make ends meet.”

The RI Republican Party stands firmly with the Americans who are calling for fiscal responsibility, transparency, and an end to the culture of blank-check government.

“Enough is enough,” Powers concluded. “If the Democrats are truly worried about helping people, they’d clean up the mess-not try to cover it up. Rhode Islanders deserve leaders who protect their wallets, not political insiders who protect their own interests.”