Gov. Shapiro: Thousands in Pa. could lose Medicaid, SNAP benefits under Trump bill

Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, released data projecting how many people in the state’s 17 congressional districts could be impacted.

By TOM FONTAINE
TribLive

More than 300,000 Pennsylvanians could lose Medicaid coverage if the Senate-approved version of President Trump’s domestic policy bill passes the House, while nearly 150,000 people who receive SNAP benefits could lose access to food assistance, Gov. Josh Shapiro said Wednesday.

“Every member of Congress who votes for this reconciliation bill will be voting to cut Medicaid coverage and food assistance for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians. The impact of this vote would be devastating — and it will be on them,” Shapiro wrote on X.

Shapiro, a Democrat from Montgomery County, released data projecting how many people in each of the state’s 17 congressional districts could be impacted by proposed cuts to the two programs.

In Southwestern Pennsylvania, the most adversely affected area would be the 14th Congressional District, represented by U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, a Republican from Peters. The district includes all of Fayette, Greene and Washington counties and most of Westmoreland, Indiana and Somerset counties.

Shapiro said 18,645 people there could lose Medicaid coverage, while 11,071 could lose SNAP benefits. A spokesperson for Reschenthaler did not return a message.

Nearly as many people would be impacted in the 16th District, represented by U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, a Republican from Butler. The district includes all of Butler, Lawrence, Mercer, Crawford and Erie counties and part of Venango County.

Shapiro said 18,498 people there could lose Medicaid coverage, while 8,751 could lose SNAP benefits. A spokesperson for Kelly did not comment on Shapiro’s projections, saying the congressman would release a statement after the House votes on the domestic policy bill.

In the 12th District, represented by U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, 17,727 people could lose Medicaid coverage and 9,898 could lose SNAP benefits, according to Shapiro. The district includes Pittsburgh and communities in eastern and southern Allegheny County and western Westmoreland County.

“People in my district have told us how devastating this would be. Some of the most vulnerable people in our district rely on these programs,” Lee said Wednesday, calling the policy bill “cruel” and “disgusting.”

In the 17th District, represented by U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Fox Chapel, Shapiro said, 12,584 people could lose Medicaid coverage and 6,004 could lose SNAP benefits. The district includes all of Beaver County and communities in northern and western Allegheny County.

Deluzio likened the legislation to waging war against the working class.

“I don’t know what my Republican counterparts are doing. I am very hopeful some Republicans might wake up and decide not to go down this path,” Deluzio said.

Deluzio rebutted GOP claims that those losing benefits are receiving them fraudulently.

“We should always target fraud, waste and abuse,” Deluzio said. But, he added, there aren’t nearly 20,000 people receiving benefits they aren’t eligible for them in his district.