Rutinel Hosts Meet and Greet, Stresses Need To Lower Costs for Families and Small Businesses

Thornton, CO — Manny Rutinel, Democratic nominee for Colorado's 8th Congressional District, hosted a meet and greet at the Tacos Los Viejones food truck this week to talk with Coloradans about the urgent need to lower costs for families and small businesses, drawing a sharp contrast with Rep. Gabe Evans who voted for reckless, cost-hiking tariffs and to cut Medicaid and SNAP for families across the district.

“Colorado families and small businesses are getting squeezed by high costs because of Gabe Evans and Donald Trump,” said Rutinel. “I've spent my career finding ways to lower costs so working people can get ahead. That's the record I'll take to Congress, and it's exactly the opposite of what Gabe Evans is delivering for this district.”

Evans voted for the final passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill on July 3, 2025. The law cuts roughly $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office — a threat to the 191,837 constituents in Colorado's 8th District who rely on Medicaid, more than one in four people in the district. It also enacts the largest cut to federal food assistance in the nation's history. While the numbers don’t lie, Evans has repeatedly denied the cuts. Confronted by a colleague on camera in the hours before the vote, Evans insisted, “We're not cutting Medicaid.”

On top of gutting health care and food assistance, Evans has jacked up costs on Coloradans by repeatedly voting to protect reckless tariffs that are hiking prices on families and small businesses. A whopping 86% of Colorado businesses saying that Evans’ tariffs are a challenge, and many are being forced to make “tough decisions… [on] whether to raise prices, take less salary, cut employees, or whether they can even keep their doors open.”

Rutinel pointed to his own record in the state legislature as the alternative. As a state representative, Manny helped pass legislation to lower housing costs,help families make ends meet, and improve rural health care. He also led the food-truck law that cut licensing costs and red tape for small businesses across Colorado.