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

HARRISBURG, PA (May 22, 2025) — The U.S. House of Representatives voted 215-214 this morning to approve a massive budget reconciliation bill that funds $2 trillion in tax cuts heavily benefiting billionaires by making deep cuts to health, nutrition, education, and other programs.

The bill includes at least $625 billion in cuts to Medicaid threatening healthcare coverage for 8.6 million Americans over the next 10 years. Narrowed eligibility requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, will cut $300 billion in benefits for hungry children and families. The bill also includes measures to limit student access to higher education and a $20 billion voucher program that funnels public funds to private schools over four years.

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 sent letters today to U.S. Sens. John Fetterman and David McCormick urging them to oppose this bill. He also issued the following statement:

“The budget reconciliation bill adopted by the U.S. House will strip access to health care for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania families and result in adults and children across the commonwealth going hungry.

“Millions of Pennsylvania families count on federal funding for programs that feed their children and allow them to see a doctor when they’re sick. These are programs that also 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 reconciliation 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 reconciliation bill will cause lasting harm to Pennsylvania students and families. We strongly urge Sens. Fetterman and McCormick to stand up for the students and families they represent and oppose the deep funding cuts in this bill.”

Here is how Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation voted on the House budget reconciliation bill:

• Brendan Boyle (D): Nay
• Rob Bresnahan (R): Yea
• Madeleine Dean (D): Nay
• Chris Deluzio (D): Nay
• Dwight Evans (D): Nay
• Brian Fitzpatrick (R): Yea
• Chrissy Houlahan (D): Nay
• John Joyce (R): Yea
• Mike Kelly (R): Yea
• Summer Lee (D): Nay
• Ryan Mackenzie (R): Yea
• Dan Meuser (R): Yea
• Scott Perry (R): Yea
• Guy Reschenthaler (R): Yea
• Mary Gay Scanlon (D): Nay
• Lloyd Smucker (R): Yea
• Glenn Thompson (R): Yea

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.