February 26, 2025
By Marc Stier
Harrisburg, PA — Today, the Pennsylvania Policy Center released this statement from Executive Director Marc Stier on the passage of the budget resolution in the US House of Representatives:
“With their votes today for the passage of the House budget resolution, all of Pennsylvania’s Republican representatives have made their priorities clear: they are willing to slash funding for critical programs that support Pennsylvania’s working families, seniors, and children—all to extend President Trump’s tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations. All Pennsylvania Democrats rightly voted against the budget resolution.
“The 2017 Trump tax law failed to deliver on its promises—it did not boost wages, lower prices, or expand the economy for working families. Instead, it added $2 trillion to the national debt while giving corporations a lower effective tax rate than everyday Pennsylvanians earning $45,000 a year. Extending these failed tax cuts would only make things worse.
“The best way to build a strong economy is by supporting a strong middle class—not by making cruel cuts to health care, food assistance, and job-creating investments in clean energy and advanced technology. Pennsylvania families shouldn’t be forced to pay the price so that billionaires and big corporations can continue to increase their profits.
“Middle-class families pay their fair share in taxes — even as prices of everyday essentials like food and gas continue to rise. It’s time for the wealthiest individuals and corporations to pay what they owe too. We need representatives in Congress who will stand with everyday Pennsylvanians and reject budget proposals that gut vital programs just to benefit the richest of the rich. Every Republican representative, failed this essential test of decency and courage.”
The House budget resolution sets the stage for massive cuts that would directly impact Pennsylvania’s communities:
- More Families Going Hungry: Cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would make it harder for 360,000 Pennsylvania families, seniors, and children to get the food they need, exacerbating food insecurity in a state where 10.8% of households already struggle with hunger.
- Health Care at Risk: Medicaid cuts would jeopardize vital health coverage for 3.3 million Pennsylvanians, including 2 million adults, 1.4 million children, 575,000 people with disabilities, 400,000 seniors in assisted living facilities or nursing homes, and 300,000 people being treated for substance use disorder. When people currently with Medicaid can no longer pay health care bills, hospitals and health care systems in both rural and urban areas will face serious risk of closure.
- Higher State Costs and Budget Deficits: If federal Medicaid matching funds are cut, Pennsylvania would need to come up with $3.3 billion to maintain current coverage levels. If the state cannot cover the shortfall, the increase in uninsured residents and uncompensated care will strain local budgets and services.
- Job Losses and Economic Slowdown: Slashing Medicaid funding would harm Pennsylvania’s economy, leading to job losses in health care and beyond. Repealing parts of the Inflation Reduction Act would threaten new clean energy jobs in the state, hurting Pennsylvania workers and slowing economic growth.