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HARRISBURG, PA (July 1, 2025) — The U.S. Senate today approved an amended version of H.R. 1, a massive budget reconciliation bill that includes hundreds of billions in funding cuts to health care, nutrition assistance, education services, and other federal programs to help pay for tax cuts heavily benefiting billionaires and the super wealthy.

Aaron Chapin, the president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, issued the following statement on the bill’s passage in the Senate:

“Only when children are nourished and healthy are they ready to learn and grow into their full potential. Meeting the most basic needs of our students is essential to their success in the classroom and to the success of our nation. Yet today the Senate has voted for a bill that would take meals and health care away from children — all to finance massive tax breaks for the super wealthy. 

“There is no way that Pennsylvania can backfill the loss of billions in federal funding for health care, nutrition assistance, and other programs included in this bill. If it becomes law, parents will not be able to take their children to the doctor when they get sick, public schools will lose funding to provide health-related services to students, and more Pennsylvanians will go hungry. Entire communities will suffer, especially those in rural areas.

“The bill now returns to the House. We urge Pennsylvania’s 17 U.S. representatives to oppose this bill and to prioritize the children and working families in their districts over billionaires and the super wealthy.”

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.