US House Rep. Rob Bresnahan has made over 600 stock trades since taking office.
A report issued by Americans for Tax Fairness found that US House Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Luzene) is set to save $6 million in taxes after voting for President Donald Trump’s tax cuts last year.
“Congressman Rob Bresnahan voted for a tax law that puts money in his own pocket at a time when northeastern Pennsylvanians are being stretched thin by the rising costs of gas, food, and everyday purchases,” Unrig Our Economy Campaign Director Leor Tal said in a statement.
She added, “instead of looking for ways to bring down costs for his constituents, Bresnahan will be spending the day doubling down on his decision to put tax breaks for himself and his billionaire buddies over working families.”
Since taking office, Bresnahan has earned a reputation for being one of Congress’ most prolific stock traders despite campaigning on ending congressional stock trading.
NBC News reported last year that Bresnahan sold over $150,000 in Medicaid related stocks before voting to cut the program by $1 trillion dollars, and the New York Times reported that he sold between $100,000 and $250,000 worth of bonds from the Allegheny County Hospital Development Authority for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
“We already knew that Rep. Bresnahan prioritized profit over Pennsylvanians with his vote for the Republican Tax Law. He sold six figures of stock in Medicaid providers before breaking his promise to constituents and gutting the program by over $900 billion,” Rachele Fortier, executive director of Affordable Pennsylvania, said in a statement.
“It’s bad enough that Congressman Bresnahan betrayed his constituents by voting for a bill that will rip healthcare and food assistance from tens of thousands of them. It’s even worse that while his constituents will struggle to put food on the table and go to the doctor, he will be raking it in via stock sales and tax breaks.”
Over 310,000 Pennsylvanians are expected to lose their Medicaid coverage once these cuts go into effect after this year’s election, and, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, these cuts will impact over 21,000 of Bresnahan’s constituents.
“Families all over Northeastern Pennsylvania are struggling to get by while Congressman Rob Bresnahan keeps getting richer,” Action Together NEPA Executive Director Alisha Hoffman-Mirilovich said in a statement.
“We hear from constituents every day who are making impossible choices — whether they can afford medication or groceries, rent or electricity, gas or childcare. Bresnahan’s vote on the tax law that could benefit his own family is a betrayal of his constituents and proves that he doesn’t understand the needs of the people he’s supposed to represent.”
This story was updated with a statement from Affordable Pa.
