This fall we're launching the incredible stories of Americans across the country in a project called Faces of the Budget. National Priorities Project has been gathering the stories of every-day people and how they've been affected by the spending and tax policies of the federal budget. Since all of us are affected by the federal budget in various ways – even if we don’t realize it – everyone has a story to tell.

We'll be sharing the words and stories of regular Americans on Facebook. If you'd like to share your story, please contact us.

Today I'll share with you the story of Clay B. from Texas. Clay is a self-declared “evangelical Texan” – a middle-class father of three daughters, two of whom are twins with severe intellectual disabilities and autism. They require constant physical and emotional attention. The girls qualify for Medicaid, funded by state and federal tax revenues. Medicaid pays for doctor appointments, medical care, and adaptive services the girls receive through their school.

"I have daughters with severe intellectual disabilities and autism.... Without Medicaid and the Medically Dependent Children's Program ... our children would be living in some sort of institutional setting."

– Clay B., TX