For further information contact:
Chris Lilienthal (717) 712-6677
David Broderic (717) 376-9169

HARRISBURG, PA (May 21, 2025) — The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote as early as Thursday on a massive budget reconciliation bill that provides $2 trillion in tax cuts heavily benefiting billionaires, funded by deep cuts to health, nutrition, education, and other programs. The bill also diverts $20 billion in federal funding from public schools over four years to private and religious schools in the form of tax-credit vouchers.

The bill is expected to cut at least $625 billion from Medicaid, costing 7.6 million Americans their health insurance over the next 10 years. It will cut $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps, and shift more of the costs to states. It also includes funding cuts to higher education programs.

These funding cuts will have a dramatic impact on Pennsylvania, which receives $28 billion in Medicaid and CHIP funding each year to provide health care for families and school-based related services for students living in every school district in the state, along with $4 billion in SNAP funding to provide nutritious food to hungry children and families.

PSEA President Aaron Chapin issued the following statement:

“Millions of Pennsylvania children count on federal funding for nutrition, health care, and education programs that will face unprecedented cuts in the U.S. House budget reconciliation bill.

“We are talking about programs that allow families to feed their children and take them to the doctor when they’re sick. We are talking about programs that allow schools to provide related health services to students. Entire communities will suffer if these budget cuts are enacted into law, especially those in rural areas.

“Not only does this budget bill eliminate essential health, nutrition, and education services, it also diverts federal funding to unaccountable private and religious school vouchers, something that 61% of Pennsylvanians oppose, according to a recent poll.

“There is no doubt that this budget bill will cause lasting harm to Pennsylvania students and families. We strongly urge Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation to stand up for the students and families they represent and oppose the deep funding cuts in this bill.”

Chapin is a Stroudsburg Area middle school teacher and president of PSEA. An affiliate of the National Education Association, PSEA represents about 177,000 active and retired educators and school employees, aspiring educators, higher education staff, and health care workers in Pennsylvania.

###