WATCH: Rep. Summer Lee Opposes GOP Budget That Slashes Medicaid, SNAP to Fund Billionaire Tax Breaks
**For Immediate Release**
WATCH: Rep. Summer Lee Opposes GOP Budget That Slashes Medicaid, SNAP to Fund Billionaire Tax Breaks
Rep Lee: “What is beautiful about forcing families to choose between taking their kids to the doctor or feeding them?”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 20, 2025 — Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Color Of Change, lawmakers, and advocates from across the country at the U.S. Capitol to strongly oppose the Republican budget reconciliation package that would gut essential programs like Medicaid and SNAP in order to finance trillions in tax cuts for billionaires and ultra-wealthy donors.
At the press conference, Rep. Lee denounced the cruelty of the proposed legislation and called on people nationwide to demand their representatives reject it. She emphasized how devastating the proposed cuts would be for working families — particularly in Black, brown, disabled, and low-income communities.
“Republicans are providing an estimated $7 trillion in giveaways to the ultra wealthy and billionaires while working families struggle to afford their basic needs – housing, food, gas, eggs. They keep talking about ‘America first,’ but I haven’t seen a Republican put anybody who makes under $100 million first in any of the proposals or policies that I’ve seen go through. These reconciliation proposals are some of the cruelest ones yet. America first, meanwhile, they’re making the largest cuts to Medicaid in history after they swore they wouldn’t touch it”, said Rep. Lee. “Millions rely on Medicaid. 165,000 in my district alone. These are parents caring for their children with cancer, elders who need support in nursing homes, folks with disabilities. Republicans say America first, but they’re cutting food assistance like SNAP, the very lifeline that feeds folks struggling to make ends meet.”
Rep. Lee continued, “Trump calls it the big, beautiful bill. But tell me again, what is beautiful? What is beautiful about forcing families to choose between taking their kids to the doctor or feeding them? Let’s be clear, it would take just three Republicans, three of them, to block this outrageous bill when it comes to the floor. Will any of these Republicans have the courage to stand and put America first?”
Watch Congresswoman Lee’s full remarks [HERE], beginning at the 18:40 mark.
Congresswoman Lee represents Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District, which includes Pittsburgh and many surrounding communities where over 165,000 people rely on Medicaid. The proposed budget cuts would have a catastrophic impact on her constituents and millions of Americans nationwide.
Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, she has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.4 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs. Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 3,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.