Bresnahan: Eligible welfare recipients have ‘nothing to worry about’

Despite voting in favor of President Donald Trump’s slash-and-cut spending agenda during a U.S. House vote earlier this week, Rep. Rob Bresnahan said Thursday that Northeast Pennsylvanians have “absolutely nothing to worry about” regarding sweeping budget cuts to vital safety-net programs such as Medicaid and Social Security.

“You can rest assured that I would not have voted or supported anything that would cut the benefits for over 200,000 people in our district,” Bresnahan, R-8, Dallas Twp., said in a phone interview. “I would not support any legislation that cuts benefits for the people of Northeast Pennsylvania that they depend upon.” 

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Earlier this month, Bresnahan vowed not to vote for any bill that threatened benefits that his constituents rely upon, saying, “If a bill is put in front of me that guts the benefits my neighbors rely on, I will not vote for it.”

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He said he had met Wednesday with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, and other congressional leaders to talk about the budget reconciliation process and said he remains committed to protecting safety-net programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

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“I’m for work requirements. I’m for removing illegal aliens from receiving those benefits,” Bresnahan said, adding that he would also approve reforms “if there is fraud or redundancy in the system. But if it’s going to gut any benefits for the people in our district that depend on them — and looking at the two hospitals that are facing economic challenges inside of our district — absolutely I will vote against it.” 

Northeast Pennsylvanians who are lawfully receiving government benefits have “absolutely nothing to worry about,” he said.

“My position is exactly that of President Trump’s: Under no circumstances will we cut Medicaid or Social Security,” Bresnahan said.