Sharing personal stories, statewide data, and personal experiences, legislators urge Republicans at the state and federal level to join them in opposing cuts to critical social safety net programs
HARRISBURG, PA − June 30, 2025 − On Monday, June 30, members of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus gathered in the East Wing Rotunda to draw attention to the urgency of stopping Trump’s domestic policy bill from becoming law. In its current form, the bill poses an existential threat to Medicaid, SNAP, and rural hospitals across Pennsylvania.
“Senate Democrats stand united and resolute in our message: Care, not cuts,” said Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa. “We urge in the strongest possible terms our Republican colleagues to join us in condemning Trump’s big ugly bill – there is room for you in our movement for care, food, and hospitals for every Pennsylvanian.”
“There’s nothing beautiful about this bill,” said Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair. “Cutting healthcare and food assistance is not who we are as Pennsylvanians. It is not who we are as Americans. The only people who are being served by these cuts are the richest of the richest. We as Pennsylvania Senate Democrats are sending a message to people that it is not too late. You can still make a phone call and let your Senators and Congressperson know that this is the wrong way to go. Let them know that this bill is unacceptable.”
On May 22, a budget bill that would strip 15 million Americans of health insurance and 3 million families of healthy food was passed in the US House of Representatives. This legislation will be detrimental to Pennsylvania communities and puts incredible pressure on the PA state budget to bridge the funding gap the federal government threatens to create. These cuts will be especially harmful to rural areas, where hospitals, often the largest employers of the areas, are the backbone of economies.
“The so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is a reckless, regressive package that prioritizes corporate tax cuts and political posturing over real solutions for working families,” said Senator Sharif Street. “At a time when Americans are demanding action on healthcare, economic justice, and civil rights, this bill offers the exact opposite: deeper inequality, fewer protections, and more division. I stand with the communities who will be most harmed by this legislation.”
“Take it from a nurse who worked in hospitals and nursing homes: healthcare for our low-income and aging neighbors in Pennsylvania is not ‘waste’,” said Senator Collett. “When healthcare facilities across Pennsylvania are forced to close their doors, when seniors can no longer access care, when families must choose between medicine and meals—remember who made these cruel choices: the Republicans who wrote and voted for this catastrophic legislation.”
President Trump’s domestic policy bill, currently working its way through the United States Senate, would represent the largest wealthy transfer from poor and working-class Americans to the wealthiest in US History. While adding trillions to the national debt, this bill threatens the healthcare access of at least 300,000 Pennsylvanians who rely on Medicaid and 140,000 Pennsylvanians who rely on SNAP.
“This isn’t just a budget fight. It is a fight for our neighbors’ dignity and survival,” said Sen. Haywood (D-4). “These cuts will rip food from tables, care away from children and those with disabilities, and security from seniors. We will not stand by while politicians trade people’s lives for political points.”
Downloadable footage of today’s presser is available here. Still photographs are available upon request.
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