Rep. Scott Perry (PA-10) Continues to Spread Medicaid Misinformation While Standing By His Vote to Gut the Program

June 5, 2025

PENNSYLVANIA - Congressman Scott Perry is doubling down on his 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. In recent interviews, Perry has defended his support for the GOP tax scam, falsely claiming that “no one that is legitimately on Medicaid will lose their coverage” and defending the massive cuts to the program with the excuse that “the states are using it as kind of a money laundering situation.”

“Scott Perry voted to cut benefits for working families to fund billionaire tax breaks - and now he can’t even face his constituents with the truth,” said Rachele Fortier, executive director of Affordable Pennsylvania. “Perry had every chance to stand up for his constituents and failed to do so, putting hundreds of thousands of people in his own districts at risk of losing critical programs. Now he wants to double down on his decision by spreading misinformation and making excuses? Congressman Perry was elected to serve the people of PA-10 and we urge him to listen and respond to his constituents' concerns about these Medicaid cuts.”

ICYMI: Heartland Signal: Scott Perry calls Medicaid a money laundering scheme

• During an interview with FOX43 News in York, Pa., U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) asserted without evidence that Medicaid is used as a “money laundering” scheme by states.

• During the interview, FOX43 asked Perry about the 140,000+ constituents in his district enrolled in Medicaid potentially being concerned about President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. The budget bill, which passed in the House of Representatives with Perry and 214 other Republicans’ approval, calls for significant cuts to Medicaid. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, as many as 15 million people could lose health insurance over the next ten years if the current form of the bill is signed into law.

• Despite these figures, Perry erroneously claimed that the current form of the bill actually grows the program, which he also said is used as a “money laundering” scheme by states.

• “Even under this current proposal, Medicaid grows by 25% over ten years,” Perry said.  “Unfortunately, the states are using it as kind of a money laundering situation.”

• Perry’s office did not immediately respond to a request to explain how the bill grows Medicaid and why he would support growing something he believes to be a “money laundering” scheme.

• Perry has held several tele-town hall events, a venue where it is easier for politicians to screen and avoid difficult questions from constituents. Like several of his Republican colleagues, he has yet to hold an in-person town hall this year despite voters in his district making it known they want accountability. Constituents have complained of lack of access and transparency from Perry’s office in recent weeks.

• The Big Beautiful Bill in its current form would also distribute tax cuts that will disproportionately benefit the highest income earners in the country, while slashing Medicaid, Medicare and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to pay for the loss in revenue to the government.

ICYMI: The Keystone: Scott Perry doesn’t believe work policy will cost constituents Medicaid access

• Prior to casting the deciding vote to cut Medicaid by $800 billion last week, Republican US Congressman Scott Perry (R-York) claimed that those who need Medicaid will still have access to it for health care coverage.

• Perry was confronted on NewsNation’s “Sunday with Chris Stirewalt” in March about his support to cut Medicaid.

• Stirewalt explained that in 2024 there was only $31 billion in fraudulent Medicaid payments, and asked Perry if he could guarantee no one would lose their health care coverage over the potential Medicaid cuts.

• “ I think what we can promise is that no one that is legitimately on Medicaid will lose their coverage,” Perry responded.

• Millions of Americans, instead, are at risk of losing health care coverage because of the Medicaid work requirements in the budget bill, according to the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities.

• “[Republicans] are going to require people to prove that they’re eligible every six months. That’s going to be draconian at best and it’s going to be a real problem, frankly, for providers but certainly for families to have to recertify their Medicaid eligibility every six months,” Matthew Yarnell, President of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, told The Keystone in an interview.

• Yarnell added, “At the same time you’re seeing massive cuts to the federal workforce. So I don’t even know how people are going to get their stuff approved. I think I would be concerned about their talking points saying that people are not gonna have disruptions to their services.”

• Data for Progress, a progressive-leaning polling firm, found that cutting Medicaid is extremely unpopular in Perry’s district with only 9% of voters supporting the measure.

• Over 100 of Perry’s constituents visited his Mechanicsburg office on Wednesday to hand deliver Perry letters about his Medicaid cuts. Perry hasn’t held an in-person town hall meeting in his district since July, 2019.

• The Center for American Progress estimates that over 340,000 Pennsylvanians are at risk of losing their health care coverage, including over 20,000 residents living in Perry’s district.

• Susan Roller, a retired teacher and Cumberland County resident, helped organize Wednesday’s action at Perry’s office and explained that she isn’t buying his statements on people keeping their Medicaid coverage.

• “ I think it’s a good example of Mr. Perry’s misinformation, lack of knowledge, lack of understanding, and deliberate distortion of the truth,” Roller told The Keystone.

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