June 17, 2025

PENNSYLVANIA - In the wake of Congressman Scott Perry joining his Republican colleagues to vote for the largest cuts to Medicaid in history, threatening benefits for hundreds of thousands of his own constituents in order to fund billionaire tax breaks, PA-10 constituent Paula Bussard has shared the story of her son Alex, who relies on Medicaid for the healthcare that keeps him alive.

“Scott Perry’s support of Trump’s tariffs and the GOP Tax Scam that makes massive cuts to Medicaid is a direct threat to his constituents’ well-being,”  said Rachele Fortier, executive director of Affordable Pennsylvania. “We commend Paula for sharing Alex’s story and urge Congressman Perry to advocate for his constituents rather than billionaires and big corporations.”

ICYMI: Penn Live: Pa. mom of disabled son who relies on Medicaid offended by response from Rep. Perry

• As the mother of a medically complex and physically disabled son, the 70-year-old Carlisle resident is eyeing the congressional budget reconciliation bill with a sense of doom.

• Bussard is bracing for a major double-wallop to her son’s future and survival: the House GOP-led budget reconciliation bill, which calls for more than $800 billion in Medicaid cuts and puts at risk the intensive amount of care Alex receives; and the likelihood that the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on imports will make the cost of replacement parts to the medical machines her son relies on prohibitively expensive.

• “They are making decisions that hurt vulnerable people,” she said. “Half the people on Medicaid are children; 20% are persons like my son. Another 10% are senior citizens, poor senior citizens.”

• “All the medical equipment, the hospital bed, the wheelchair, what they call a Hoyer lift to get him in and out of bed,” Bussard said. “He’s got oxygen, suction, machine, nebulizer, feeding pump, medicines and all those devices come with supplies... It’s a lot and Medicaid covers most of that. Some stuff it doesn’t cover.”

• The latest analysis from the Congressional Budget Office estimates that a staggering 16 million people would lose health insurance under the bill, including 11 million on Medicaid and five million who would lose access to Affordable Care Act policies.

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