Public services on the chopping block if Medicaid, other fed programs are cut, union president says

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Public-service workers and the jobs they do could suffer under potential federal budget cuts, workers said at a rally Tuesday at Allentown City Hall.

A handful of people showed up Tuesday in conjunction with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees to urge U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, to fight to keep the benefits in place.

Jim Kleiner, transportation equipment operator and president of AFSCME Local 2160 of Northampton County, said his team handles snowplowing, paving, cobble patching and garbage removal, among other tasks to keep area roadways safe.

However, Kleiner said, possible federal cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security not only would benefit just society’s most affluent over commoners, but also have agencies even beyond his team scrambling.

“I can only imagine what it would be like if we weren’t out there taking trash off the roads and plowing snow,” Kleiner said.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, in an appearance at a Bethlehem fire station last week, said, "Any cuts at the federal level are going to make it way harder for us to make investments in education, safety and economic development."

Jim Howell, administrator with AFSCME Council 13 out of Harrisburg, said Mackenzie, a first-term Republican from Lower Macungie Township, should avoid voting blindly along party lines and instead listen to the needs of his constituents when making decisions.

AFSCME Council 13 represents more than 65,000 public employees in the Commonwealth.

Comments from Mackenzie

In response Tuesday, Mackenzie said, "The essential priority in the ongoing budget process is to avoid a massive tax increase, especially on working families, while protecting our society's most vulnerable.

"We support commonsense reforms that improve the efficiency of government programs while protecting the traditional Medicaid population.

"I will keep working to cut taxes for working families, protect vulnerable populations, and improve government efficiency."

Medicaid provides health-insurance coverage for low-income residents and those with disabilities, among other vulnerable demographics.

House Republicans have tasked the Energy and Commerce Committee to find $880 billion in cuts to support President Donald Trump’s agenda around border security, energy and taxes.

In another interview this month, Mackenzie told LehighValleyNews.com he would support rolling back Medicaid expansion created through the Affordable Care Act.

That could look like applying work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents, doing away with coverage for illegal immigrants and more eyes on what medical providers are charging for services, he said.

But Mackenzie has said he wouldn’t see services reduced for the country’s most vulnerable.