Scranton Featured in National Bus Tour to “Stop the Billionaire Giveaway” in Congress

Fair Share America + Pennsylvanians Together Brought the 14-State, National Campaign to Scranton to Call Out the Harmful Impacts of the GOP’s Federal Budget + Tax Bill

“If Regional closes, it would be a health care and economic catastrophe for all of Northeast Pennsylvania.” - Susan Wiggins, a lab technician at Regional Hospital of Scranton warns cuts to Medicaid could result in hospital closures

Scranton, PA – On Monday afternoon, Scranton residents joined the national “Stop the Billionaire Giveaway” bus tourorganized by Fair Share America and Unrig Our Economy to raise their opposition to the local impacts of a massive reconciliation bill in Congress that would transfer record levels of taxpayer dollars to the ultra-rich and corporations and cut social safety nets that people rely on, like Medicaid and food assistance, to pay for it.

The “Community Conversation,” held outside in the Lackawanna County Courthouse Square on Monday afternoon, took place just as U.S. Senate Republicans have re-doubled their efforts to bring the reconciliation bill to the Senate floor for a vote this week. Scranton was the fourth Pennsylvania stop on the bus’s three-week, 14-state tour, which kicked off this weekend in Croton-on-Hudson, New York and will travel cross country and end in central California next month.

Susan Wiggins, a lab technician at Regional Hospital of Scranton, shared how people losing Medicaid as a result of the reconciliation bill’s Medicaid cuts and red tape will mean area hospitals like Regional will struggle even more financially and are at even greater risk of closure: “If Regional closes, it would be a health care and economic catastrophe for all of Northeast Pennsylvania.”

Autumn Gravier an advocate with Planned Parenthood PA, shared her harrowing story of leaving an abusive husband who raped her. She said she would not have been able to leave without access to Medicaid for health care for her and her two kids.

Jennifer Graham Partyka, a local nurse, dispelled GOP disinformation cutting Medicaid waste, fraud, and abuse: “Most people on Medicaid are hardworking people who simply cannot receive health insurance from their job. know this as well: The vast majority of people on Medicaid are children. Many are patients in nursing homes… Medicaid is the only way they can stay in a nursing home.”

Kristen Crowell, Fair Share America Executive Director layed out the choice before Members of Congress right now: “This is a choice right now, before our elected leaders: will you push more of us into poverty? Will you push us into debt? Will you take away our dignity as we are trying to raise and support our families? Or will you finally get a spine and stand up to the billionaire class demanding another handout of our tax dollars?”

[VIDEO] Kristen Crowell explains why Fair Share America and Unrig Our Economy have launched this national tour and how we’re building a national movement.

Marc Stier, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Policy Center and a host of the tour’s Pennsylvania events: “There have been many bad cash cuts in our industry that overwhelmingly benefited the rich and wealthy corporations. There have been many efforts to cut the social safety net, but this legislation, this terrible bill, is unique and uniquely bad.”

Event partners included: Pennsylvanians Together, Action Together NEPA, Pennsylvania Policy Center, For Our Future, MomsRising, SEIU Healthcare PA, Commonwealth Communications PA.

**The full swing through Pennsylvania includes 6 stops:

Sunday, June 22

Monday, June 23

Tuesday, June 24

Follow the “Stop the Billionaire Giveaway” bus online and on social media: @FairShare_USA on X and @FairShareAmerica (FB, IG, BS, Threads).

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