While Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick Sells Out His Constituents for Donald Trump, Kadida Kenner and Her New Pennsylvania Project Tries to Make Democracy Richer
A tale of two Pennsylvanians.
You won’t read about this in Gannett/USA Today Network’s Bucks County Courier Times, but Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick was a loyal and obedient MAGA soldier Tuesday night when he voted for a Trump-backed budget that eyes $1 trillion in Medicaid and SNAP cuts. The House budget Fitzpatrick supports calls for a $880 billion reduction in health care spending over the decade, which could, and will likely, zero in on programs like Medicaid. The Center for American Progress projects Fitzpatrick’s First Congressional District could see $1.31 billion in funding loss for Medicaid and CHIP over 9 years, while 25,000 of his constituents could have their coverage eliminated.
Moreso, this “reverse Robin Hood” budget resolution also instructs the agriculture committee, which funds Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), sometimes referred to as food stamps, to cut $230 billion in spending. About 40 million people, including 1 in 5 children, rely on SNAP food assistance each month across the county, while there are 43,372 SNAP recipients in Bucks County and almost 2 million across the Pennsylvania (as of 2023).
Sharon Parrott, president of the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, says:
“The House Republican budget’s path of higher costs for families, more people without health coverage, increased poverty and hardship, and higher debt — all in service to tax cuts for the wealthy and profitable business interests — is the wrong direction for our nation.”
Read my column here because other Bucks County media won’t cover it: https://buckscountybeacon.com/2025/02/congressman-brian-fitzpatrick-votes-for-trump-backed-budget-that-eyes-1-trillion-in-health-care-and-food-stamp-cuts
ON THE OTHER HAND, Pennsylvania is lucky to have Kadida Kenner defending democracy and voting rights in Pennsylvania.
She is the founding Chief Executive Officer of the New Pennsylvania Project. Kadida is a tireless advocate for social and economic justice issues and is motivated to empower and excite the electorate to enthusiastically vote in every election — all the way down the entire ballot. We had a great conversation, which includes some civil rights history, her lifelong organizing and activism pursuits, and the great work her organization is doing across the commonwealth to defend, expand, and strengthen voting rights and voter engagement.
(Also listen on Apple, Spotify, Podbean, and iheart)
I first spoke to Kadida Kenner 3.5 years ago while I was writing a progressive column for the conservative Bucks County Courier Times when her voting rights organization the New Pennsylvania Project had just launched. Since then her group has grown to 65 full- and part-time staffers across the commonwealth, and Kadida and her colleagues tireless advocacy in defense of democracy and voting rights is needed now more than ever.
And thanks to Raging Chicken Media,and Kevin Mahoney who produces the show and has been working overtime this month!