Hours after the U.S. Senate passed its version of the One Big Beautiful Bill, about 40 people rallied against what they believe is devastating federal legislation outside Congressman Rob Bresnahan’s Scranton office.
"It's a perfect day to be out doing this, but it's also a really sad day to be out doing this,” said Jess Brittain, communications director for Action Together NEPA.
President Donald Trump has been pushing for Congress to pass the bill, which aims to reduce non-military government spending and cut taxes while scaling back spending on Medicaid, food assistance and clean energy programs.
The House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by a 215-214 vote on May 22 with all but one Republican voting yes. Bresnahan, the 8th District representative from Luzerne County, was among those who supported it.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The Senate version and the House version must be identical before Trump signs the legislation into law.
Lawmakers have a self-imposed July 4 deadline to get the measure signed into law, according to CBS News. The House could return to Washington as early as today to begin consideration of the revised bill.
The bill now goes back to the House. Tuesday's rally outside Bresnahan’s office sought to remind him of its potential impact on Medicaid, among other federal services. Early estimates suggest around 11 million people could lose coverage under the bill, NPR has reported.
"He has an opportunity to make a big decision for his constituents," Brittain said of Bresnahan. "Is he going to vote for a fourth time to cut Medicaid and break his promises? Or is he going to do the right thing and vote no?"
What does Bresnahan say?
WVIA on Tuesday asked a Bresnahan spokesperson about criticism that voting for the bill would break his previous promise not to vote to cut the federal health insurance program.
“Congressman Bresnahan supports the First Amendment and the right to protest peacefully,” the spokesperson replied.
But as explained in a June 25 WVIA News story, Bresnahan has contended he did exactly as he promised and no one who deserves Medicaid will lose it, despite numerous independent analyses that say millions will lose coverage because of work requirements and other measures.
After the May 22 House bill was passed, Bresnahan released a statement that aimed to clarify his vote and said: “By ensuring states are not using Medicaid dollars on illegal aliens, conducting more frequent eligibility checks, and requiring work for able-bodied recipients, we are securing Medicaid for those who truly need it.”
Northeast and Central Pennsylvania Congressmen Ryan McKenzie, R-7; Dan Meuser, R-9; and G.T. Thompson, R-15, also voted for the May 22 House bill.
The White House issued a Tuesday afternoon statement about the bill, stating that it protects Medicaid for American citizens who need the program.
“This strengthens Medicaid for Americans who rely on it — like pregnant women, children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families — while eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse,” according to the White House.
'This is a safety net'
Critics of the law contend the bill will hurt millions of Americans.
Dwayne Heisler is the campaign director for Pennsylvanians Together and the Pennsylvania Policy Center.
He said the center’s executive director, Marc Stier, estimates that the legislation will take government supported healthcare away from 17 million Americans and more than 500,000 Pennsylvanians.
“This is a safety net. What happens if you lose your insurance? Rob Bresnahan doesn't have to worry about that, but what happens if we lose it? That's what Medicaid is for. For all of us, it is ours,” he said. “Here in Pennsylvania, this bill rips away food and health care from working families, seniors, people with disabilities, just to fund tax breaks for billionaires.”
Luzerne County Council member Joanna Bryn Smith was flanked by a cardboard cutout of Bresnahan and a chicken that Action Together NEPA says represents U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick. Behind her was Mr. Riggs, the inflatable corporate Fat Cat. She is a family law attorney in both Lackawanna and Luzerne counties. She is a former public defender and was an advocate for survivors of domestic violence.
"With both those kinds of work positions, I've really seen the need that we have in our county, in this county, for essential services like Medicaid and SNAP throughout the region,” she said.
Smith said in Pennsylvania, 2.98 million people are on Medicaid and over 450,000 of those are seniors over the age of 60. The other 1.25 million is children and young adults under the age of 21.
In Luzerne County, she says 4,905 residents are enrolled in Medicaid.
"I hear from constituents every single day how difficult it is, how they are struggling to care for themselves and loved ones. This is why we have a safety net to get people through every day, to get people through hard times, to get people through the day to day," she said. "Who do we value in our community? Who does Rob Bresnahan value in our community?”
People at the Scranton rally also saw significance in the Senate's 51-50 vote, which required Vice President JD Vance to break a tie in favor of the bill.
“What it tells me is that they know. They know that it is wrong to kick 17 million people off their healthcare," Brittain said.
"It tells me that they know that it's wrong to take nutrition assistance and the ability to feed your family away from millions. So we're out here on the street to call that out."
Federal, state responses
Here is what prominent leaders had to say in the wake of Tuesday's vote.
• President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after the Senate passed the bill.
“The Biggest Winner of them all will be the American People, who will have Permanently Lower Taxes, Higher Wages and Take Home Pay, Secure Borders, and a Stronger and More Powerful Military. Additionally, Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security Benefits are not being cut, but are being STRENGTHENED and PROTECTED from the Radical and Destructive Democrats by eliminating Waste, Fraud, and Abuse from those Programs,” he wrote.
• Republican U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, a Bloomsburg native, voted yes on Tuesday.
“I am proud to support this bill because it would deliver continued tax relief to millions of Pennsylvania families and prevent the largest tax increase in American history. This bill also delivers on many of the promises that both President Trump and I made — to secure our nation’s border and bolster our national defense to keep Americans safe, and to unleash American energy potential and lower costs for consumers,” he said in a post on X.
McCormick went on to say that the Pennsylvanians will see significant benefits from the bill and that by making the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, the average Pennsylvania family will save $2,500 annually.
“No bill is perfect, but these provisions will make a real difference in the lives of people working hard to make ends meet and raise their families across the Commonwealth. I also believe that the historic investments in the border, law enforcement, and defense will benefit all Pennsylvanians in the coming years, as will the important provisions that will unleash Pennsylvania energy," his post says.
• Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman voted no.
“My colleagues on the other side of the aisle wrote and passed this 940-page bill without giving us time to read it. I’ll keep fighting to protect health care, defend nutrition assistance, block giveaways for billionaires, and prevent trillions more added to our national debt,” according to a statement from Fetterman. “This bill is now in the hands of my colleagues in the House, where hopefully a handful of Republicans will put their constituents before campaign donors and shut this down."
• Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, tweeted a strong denunciation of the bill.
"I’ve been clear: Pennsylvania is not able to backfill these federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. So when the Senate just voted to rush to gut health care, slash food assistance, and cut energy jobs here in Pennsylvania — understand, they knew the consequences," Shapiro wrote.
"The impacts of this bill will be on them," he added.
