Governor Josh Shapiro is publicly calling out Pennsylvania Congressman Rob Bresnahan (R-8th District) for backing President Donald Trump’s sweeping federal spending bill, a move Shapiro says will devastate tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians — particularly in rural areas.
In a sharp rebuke this morning on WILK's Morning News with Nancy and Jason, Shapiro said Bresnahan betrayed personal assurances he made regarding the protection of social safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
“He told me — to my face — that this was a red line in the sand for him,” Shapiro said. “He wouldn’t harm people on Medicaid. He wouldn’t harm our rural hospitals.” Listen to the full interview below.
According to the Shapiro administration, the Trump-backed legislation could result in approximately 310,000 Pennsylvanians losing Medicaid coverage and nearly 144,000 losing access to SNAP. The impact is particularly stark in Bresnahan’s own district:
21,637 residents in the 8th Congressional District are expected to lose Medicaid coverage
11,572 could lose SNAP benefits
In neighboring PA-9, represented by Rep. Dan Meuser (R), the numbers are also grim:
17,967 residents could lose Medicaid
8,185 could lose SNAP
Governor Shapiro, a Democrat, posted to X (formerly Twitter) that the bill contradicts core promises made by Republicans on the campaign trail.
“Ironically, this bill betrays the very people Trump vowed to help,” Shapiro said. “Think about it — Trump and his fellow Republicans campaigned on reducing the deficit, vowed not to cut Medicaid, and cozied up to the Trades and promised to protect their jobs. They lied to win the election in the short term, and the damage this will do here in Pennsylvania and across America is staggering and will be felt for years to come.”
In the WILK interview this morning, Shapiro also touched on the ongoing budget impasse in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's new license plates, and the announcement of a WNBA franchise coming to Philadelphia.