Congressman Mackenzie Has Failed to Lower Costs By Prioritizing Billionaires Over Pennsylvania Families

January 29, 2026

Bethlehem, PENNSYLVANIA — On Tuesday evening, school leaders, advocates, and parents came together to discuss the affordability crisis facing students, educators, and families in the Lehigh Valley. Participants discussed how rising costs affect children’s ability to learn and grow, connected the dots between local, state, and federal policy to explain the impact of elected leaders’ actions from the Lehigh Valley to Harrisburg to Washington, and called on Lehigh Valley representatives to fight for lower costs.

“When I had my first child, federal food assistance helped us survive. We were struggling to make ends meet, but WIC provided us with formula for our baby and food to make sure we were nourished to take care of her. Medicaid has allowed my kids to get critical routine care, like getting their flu shots, going for check-ups, and getting their teeth cleaned,” said Aidalis Martinez, a Bethlehem mother who spoke at the event. “Food and health care – these things are not luxuries, they are necessities. But our congressman voted to cut programs that help people like me access these necessities to give bigger tax breaks to billionaires. I’m calling on Congressman Mackenzie to reverse these cuts because he’s in Washington to represent us - not billionaires.”

Congressman Ryan Mackenzie has contributed to this affordability crisis by voting to raise the cost of health care, utilities, and groceries on working families. His vote for the Republican Tax Law last summer makes historic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP that are devastating health care and threatening the very fate of federal food assistance in the Commonwealth - all to give bigger tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations. His failure to extend health care tax credits before their expiration and support of cost-raising tariffs have also contributed to rising costs across the board, from health care coverage to pharmaceuticals to school supplies.

At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, Affordable Pennsylvania released reports highlighting how the Trump administration’s tariff policy - backed by Congressman Mackenzie - has led to higher prices for working Pennsylvanians, with families in the Lehigh Valley spending 74% of their discretionary budget on back-to-school shopping. Earlier this month, Affordable Pennsylvania launched a digital ad in the Lehigh Valley featuring a local school therapist who calls on Congressman Mackenzie to stand up to Trump on tariffs and “put Pennsylvania families first.”

ICYMI: Lehigh Valley News: School leaders, advocates contemplate ‘affordability crisis,’ rue funding cuts at Bethlehem event

• During the panel session, Aimee Saunders, an advocate with Red Wine & Blue, repeatedly highlighted Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie’s votes to cut SNAP and Medicaid.

• Mackenzie last May cast an essential vote for the Republican Party’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” to fund President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda. The funding package pushes about 3 million people off SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, and cuts almost $1 trillion in funding to Medicaid over 10 years.

• Emily Gehman, vice president of the Southern Lehigh School Board, said funding cuts forced by Republicans’ funding package have pushed more families into stressful financial situations that “affect a child’s ability to focus in school.”

• Medicare funding is critical for special education, as it helps pay for individual education programs and 504 plans, Gehman said. She said almost 40% of students in Lehigh County receive Medicaid support.

• Without that funding, many districts will struggle to fund services such as occupational, speech and behavioral therapy, she said.

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