U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie holds 1st telephone town hall since joining Congress

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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie held his first town hall-style meeting Thursday since taking office in January.

The meeting, which took place by phone, saw more than 5,000 people join the call, according to Mackenzie spokesman Arnaud Armstrong.

Three of the nine questions callers asked — more than any other topic — dealt with fears of cuts to Medicare or Medicaid.

In response, Mackenzie emphasized that he would not support cuts to Medicare or Social Security. He also said that groups that received Medicare coverage before the program’s Obama-era expansion should continue receiving care.

“No changes should be occurring for Social Security or Medicare,” said Mackenzie.

“I support making sure that that traditional Medicaid population, those vulnerable individuals — children, low-income seniors, individuals with disabilities — we want to make sure that the care is protected for them as well.”

The phone call with constituents came as Democrats at the local, state and national levels held what they called a "People's Town Hall" at a Bethlehem church at the same time.

Potential Medicaid changes

On his call, Mackenzie said the government could realize billions of dollars in savings by modifying Medicaid coverage for low-income adults, a group that gained access to coverage through state-by-state expansion programs authorized in the Affordable Care Act.

Though he declined to back any such proposals in the abstract without specific legislation in front of him, Mackenzie said the government could see savings from imposing work requirements for low-income adults to receive Medicaid, and by imposing stricter controls aimed at ensuring only people eligible for Medicaid receive it.

“I think by and large, many people actually support potential changes like that,” said Mackenzie, who joined Congress after defeating Rep. Susan Wild last November in one of the most closely watched races in the nation

“Now, I'm not saying that I'm going to sign on to any of those things, because, again, until you see actual legislative language, you can't say that you're for particular changes.”

Ukraine, DOGE, USAID

Later in the town hall, Mackenzie pushed back on the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, however gently, for massive cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mackenzie has a role in overseeing USAID, he said.

“We, as Congress, should be making a lot more of these decisions. We should utilize our powers legislatively to make changes that we see fit and that we believe are appropriate,” he said. “But that is a much more deliberative process that goes on in Congress, which I think is a good thing when you're dealing with massive programs or changes like this.”

The congressman also criticized Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin for attacking Ukraine, and for committing atrocities against Ukrainians over more than three years of war.

Though the U.S. should “protect and support our ally as best we can,” billions of dollars in military aid have not translated to Ukrainian battlefield victories since late 2022, Mackenzie said.

“I am very concerned that this could continue for a long time. So I've been an advocate for a peaceful resolution,” Mackenzie said. “The current administration is at least starting that effort and approaching it correctly by speaking with Ukraine, speaking with Russia.”

Ultimately, all three parties need to come together at the negotiating table, he said.

Mackenzie kicked off Thursday’s phone call by walking through a set of four bills he’s introduced aimed at assisting “working families” through tax credits.

The measures would expand existing tax credits for families with children who adopt or undergo in-vitro fertilization treatments. It would also expand tax credits to offset the cost of child care.