FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2025
Contact: Kirstin Snow, Communications Director, snow@pennpolicy.org
RELEASE—Pennsylvania Policy Center, Pennsylvanians Together Campaign, State Representatives and Senators, Constituents Demand NO CUTS to Crucial Federal Programs
Capitol press conference covered the effects of potential cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other crucial services that affect the PA state budget—health care system at risk!
Harrisburg, PA—The Pennsylvania Policy Center, the statewide affiliate of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and its campaign, Pennsylvanians Together, is partnering with state representatives, senators, and affected constituents to demand no cuts to safety net services to provide tax cuts to the ultra-rich. Proposed GOP cuts would have devastating, life-threatening consequences for kids, seniors, and caregivers and would hurt working families the most. These cuts would leave kids hungry, kick seniors out of federally subsidized nursing homes, and prevent disabled residents from receiving health care and other life-sustaining services. The press conference concludes a larger, day-long summit wherein registrants gathered to educate one another and share resources for outreach and organizing.
WHO: The event featured the following speakers:
- Marc Stier, executive director, Pennsylvania Policy Center and Pennsylvanians Together campaign
- Senator Vince Hughes
- Representative Chris Rabb
- Representative Emily Kinkead
- Representative Rick Krajewski
- Andrea Grove, small business owner, Elementary Coffee Co.
- Mike Crossey, Alliance for Retired Americans, past president, PSEA
- Cristin Wormuth, social worker and state organizer for the 50/50/1 movement
- Dr. Tom Brockmeyer, retired surgeon and current cancer patient on healthcare
- Rebecca MacTaggart, United Spinal Association, Community Living and Support Services (CLASS) and United Spinal Association of Pittsburgh
- Robin Sampson, mom of 3, caregiver for her mother with Parkinson’s
QUOTES:
Marc Stier, Pennsylvania Policy Center: “Pennsylvanians face a double threat: First, tax cuts for the wealthy multinational corporations and ultra-rich individuals. And, to pay for those tax cuts, we expect cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other critical programs and tariffs that will raise taxes and increase the costs of goods for all of us. If these plans are adopted the vast majority of Pennsylvanians will suffer.”
Representative Chris Rabb: Pennsylvania is under assault from the Trump administration and the federal government. Should their proposed cuts to Medicaid and SNAP be included in a reconciliation bill that passes the US House and Senate, low-income and senior Pennsylvanians will suffer from deep cuts in Medicaid and SNAP. It would cost the state between $3 and $5 billion to make up for the loss in federal funds. Right now, the state does not have the funds to do this.
But while the federal government is giving our multi-millionaires and billionaires a deep tax cut it would be a good time to pass the fair share tax that raises taxes on them while cutting taxes for working people. We could use the $3 billion raised from the Fair Share Tax to protect the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians from losing their health care and SNAP benefits.
Representative Emily Kinkead: “Cutting SNAP benefits from $6 per day to $4 would harm millions of Pennsylvanians who are already struggling to feed themselves and their families,” said state Rep. Emily Kinkead, D-Allegheny. “This moment is a critical opportunity for leaders at the state level to enact policies like universal school lunch that will strengthen the safety net for those facing hunger, especially children.”
Mike Crossey, Alliance for Retired Americans: “Social Security and Medicare are the heart of most Americans Retirement Security. Trump, and those in Congress, who support his policies are driving a stake into the heart of American seniors.”
Rebecca MacTaggart, Community Living and Support Services (CLASS) and United Spinal Association of Pittsburgh: “Medicaid has been an invaluable lifeline for individuals and families like mine when faced with catastrophic events leading to permanent disabilities. When my son suffered a spinal cord injury at the age of 15, Medicaid provided crucial access to medical care, rehabilitation services, complex medical equipment, and other essential support that we could not have afforded on our own despite our already conservative spending habits. Proposed cuts to Medicaid threaten to dismantle this support system, placing families in precarious financial positions and jeopardizing the health and quality of life of individuals with disabilities.”
Cristin Wormuth, social worker and state organizer for the 50/50/1 Movement: “As a social worker, I see firsthand how vital federal funding is for the programs that protect the most vulnerable. Cutting funding to critical programs will strip away essential resources that help individuals and families stay healthy, safe, and stable. We cannot stand idly by while those who need our support the most are left behind.”
Dr. Tom Brockmeyer, retired surgeon and current cancer patient on health care: “As a retiring Orthopedic Surgeon who had treated many Medicare Patients, I thought I would be well taken care of when I developed blood cancer six months after I retired. Turns out my medical education was just beginning……”
Andrea Grove, small business owner, Elementary Coffee Co.: “It’s far past time for the state of Pennsylvania to acknowledge that the employees of all businesses are the lifeblood of the workforce and deserve wages that reflect their value. As a business owner and employer, I prove that it is possible to pay employees well and run a financially positive business without sacrificing one for the other. My hope is to inspire other small businesses to do the same and should do the same. “
Robin Sampson, MomsRising member: “As Congress debates the next budget package, caregivers like me are counting on members to protect the Medicaid investments our families rely on,” said Sampson. “My mom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s five years ago. For low-income seniors like her, Medicaid is a lifeline. It’s the reason she’s been able to remain in her apartment instead of a nursing home. It covers the cost of her home health aides and her numerous prescriptions. All any of us want is access to the quality health care we deserve and our loved ones deserve. Surely that is more important than another tax break for the ultra-rich.”
BACKGROUND: Donald Trump and Republican members of Congress are calling for an extension and expansion of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. And they want to pay for it by making drastic reductions in federal spending for Medicaid, CHIP, and SNAP. Pennsylvania voters, like voters in other states, strongly support these programs, and with good reason. Medicaid provides critical support for millions of Pennsylvanians.
These cuts pose a serious threat to Pennsylvania and our state budget, potentially creating a multi-billion dollar shortfall and jeopardizing priorities like public education. Discussions in Washington about extending and expanding the 2017 tax cuts only heightens these threats for working families in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvanians Together is a campaign working to ensure that all Pennsylvanians can thrive—not just survive. For too long, we’ve let politicians, who serve the interests of corporations, and the rich divide us based on what we look like, where we come from, where we worship, how much money we have or whether we are native-born or immigrants. By dividing us, they have given us public policies that do too little to help most Pennsylvanians, while making the rich and corporations even wealthier.
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