PA GOP congressmen say they'll protect Medicaid and SNAP

[Deminpenn]

This is from the front page of the conservative Pgh Tribune-Review

https://triblive.com/news/pennsylvania/pa-republican-says-hell-look-for-budget-savings-while-protecting-medicaids-core-mission/

“I have heard the concerns of many of my constituents about the Medicaid program,” said U.S. Rep. John Joyce, R-Altoona, who serves as vice chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

About 166,000 people in Joyce’s sprawling congressional district are on Medicaid, according to state Department of Human Services data. That amounts to nearly 22% of his constituents. Nationwide, nearly 80 million people receive their health care through Medicaid.

“I remain committed to supporting Medicaid’s core mission of providing access and care to low-income children, pregnant women and individuals with disabilities, and I will work to protect this core mission throughout the budget resolution process,” Joyce said.

and

U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Centre County, who chairs the Agriculture Committee, said food stamps won’t be cut.

Joyce and Thompson's districts cover a huge chunk of the "T" in Pennsylvania.

PA-15, Thompson's district goes from the the counties abutting PA-16 (the western PA/eastern OH border) , and includes 2/3rs of the PA northern border counties and all to just south of State College/Penn State.. Save for Centre county around State College, it's poor and rural and voted heavily for Trump.

PA-13, Joyce's district is below Thompson's and consists of about the middle third of the southern PA/MD border (Mason-Dixon Line) and above that through the western Allegheny Mtns. It includes the cities of Altoona and Johnstown as well as Gettysburg in Adams county which is probably the most economically prosperous county in the district. The rest is poor and rural. This diestric also went heavily for Trump, in the 65-70%+ vicinity.

[DemMedic]

1. Well, if they say it,

it must be true.

[Deminpenn]

2. Just shows the conflicts that are going to arise when

they have to make decisions on what and where to cut.

22% of Thompson's district gets Medicaid. That's a lot voters and their friends and families potentially to alienate.

[DemMedic]

4. Look here to see the impact of cutting MC per congressional District

In Bucks County it will impact about 25k people.


https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-republican-house-budget-resolutions-potential-880-billion-in-medicaid-cuts-by-congressional-district/

[Freddie]

7. And where's "moderate independent" Fitzpatrick?

Crickets as usual.

[DemMedic]

9. Yep, he got another email from me today

I can't prove it, but I think he has held back grant requests from my Rescue Squad, because he knows I think he's an idiot.

[Freddie]

10. So frustrating every 2 years we just can't get rid of him

[DemMedic]

11. Name recognition because of his brother

He was ok.

I actually visited him in DC in the very early 00's.

[Dan]

3. What was recently passed in a strict party line

Vote 217 to 215?

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Lots of weaseling there. Hollowing out Medicaid in other words

"providing access and care to low-income children, pregnant women and individuals with disabilities, and I will work to protect this core mission"

"providing access" what does that mean? Once a year? $40 copays? Only for those categories? "Core mission" he said twice in the same sentence. You are expendable if not in the core, as he defines it.

[Lovie777]

6. Liar liar pants on fire...................

[Deminpenn]

8. This is where the rubber hits the road

If you add up the number of Pennsylvanians on Medicare, 2.9M, and Medicaid, 3.1M, that is nearly half the state's total population. Add in the kids on CHIP and it gets even closer to half.

In the link to the Trib story about Medicare/Medicaid, there's an embedded link to the Garin-Hart poll. The poll shows overwhelming opposition to the Trump budget blueprint just passed by the House Rs. Even Trump voters hate it.

Think about the crowds Bernie is drawing at his rallies. The Garin-Hart poll shows why. If Dems could manage to find a firebrand economic populist like Bernie to run in one or both of these districts, Thompson and Joyce could be in real reelection trouble. That's the bind they're in