FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2025
Contact: Kirstin Snow, snow@pennpolicy.org
“Stop the Billionaire Tax Giveaway” National Bus Tour Stops in Scranton
Fair Share America + Pennsylvanians Together to bring the 14-State National Campaign to PA to Highlight the Harmful Impacts of the GOP’s Federal Budget + Tax Bill
Scranton, PA – On Monday, June 23rd, Fair Share America, Pennsylvanians Together and Unrig our Economy brought the “Stop the Billionaire Tax Giveaway” national bus tour to Scranton’s Lackawanna County Courthouse to highlight the devastating impact of the GOP’s budget and tax proposal on the Keystone State’s families, communities and economy.
The 45-foot tour bus, wrapped in a giant trillion-dollar bill, makes 6 total stops in Pennsylvania to send a clear message to elected officials: working families should not have to pay the price so billionaires and big corporations can get more tax breaks. At each stop, local voices call on US senators and members of Congress to reject any budget bill that cuts Medicaid and SNAP in order to fund over $1 trillion in tax breaks for the wealthy.
SPEAKERS:
- Kristin Crowell, Executive Director, Fair Share America
- Marc Stier, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Policy Center
- Autumn Gravier, Planned Parenthood, PA
- Susan Wiggins, Laboratory Technician at Regional Hospital, SEIU HCPA
- Jennifer K. Graham Partyka, RN
- Dwayne Heisler, Campaign Director, Pennsylvanians Together
QUOTES:
Susan Wiggins: “If these Medicaid cuts go through, they could cause my hospital to close, which would be a healthcare and economic catastrophe for Northeast Pennsylvania,” said Sue Wiggins, a medical laboratory technologist at Regional Hospital in Scranton. “Regional Hospital is barely hanging on by a thread and if we have to provide uncompensated care to thousands of people who have lost their Medicaid coverage, that would lead to huge financial losses. Our hospital has 381,000 patient visits a year and there’s absolutely no way that other hospitals could handle that increased patient load. We’re sending a loud message to Senator McCormick and Congressman Bresnahan: no Medicaid cuts for tax giveaways to billionaires!”
Autumn Gravier: “I work every day to advocate for reproductive freedom, but this budget is especially personal. Years ago, when I escaped an abusive relationship, Medicaid gave me the care I needed to survive and rebuild. It wasn’t charity, it was dignity, it was stability, and it was a brighter future for my kids. Without Medicaid, I don’t know where we’d be.”
“Pennsylvania’s families and businesses are fed up with Washington putting billionaires ahead of their basic needs and the public good,” said Fair Share America Executive Director Kristen Crowell. “This tour is about showing up, speaking out, and giving people the tools to fight back for common sense and tax fairness. We’re stopping in here because folks here will be hit hard—and your Federal elected officials have the chance to stop the harm by putting families over billionaires.”
Jennifer K. Graham Partyka: “I have a son who suffers with a life threatening, chronic illness while working a full-time job. People on Medicaid are not “the parasite class” as this horrible, out of touch administration has described them. They are your friends and neighbors. In this case, it’s my son.”
“Pennsylvania families are already working hard to get by—and now Washington wants to make it harder by gutting Medicaid and food assistance to protect tax breaks for billionaires,” said Marc Stier, Executive Director of Pennsylvania Policy Center. “These cuts would hit our communities directly raising costs, increasing hardship, and pushing more pressure onto our schools, hospitals, and local budgets. We’re standing up in Pennsylvania to say: enough is enough. Our elected officials need to reject this plan and stand with the people they’re supposed to serve.”
Dwayne Heisler: “As Campaign Director for Pennsylvanians Together, I’m proud to support the Fair Share America Bus Tour as it rolls into communities across Pennsylvania. At every stop, we’re calling out the cruel tradeoff behind the Big Ugly Bill—slashing Medicaid and SNAP to hand even more tax breaks to billionaires. This tour is about standing up for everyday Pennsylvanians and demanding that we fund healthcare and put food on the table, not pad the pockets of the ultra-wealthy.”
Learn more about the Stop the Billionaire Giveaway Bus Tour at bus.fairshareusa.org.
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