Dozens of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 13 members from across the Harrisburg area braved the hot, humid weather on Tuesday to host a press conference holding US Rep. Scott Perry accountable for supporting President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act.
The bill cuts Medicaid by nearly $1 trillion and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, by $187 billion, primarily to fund tax cuts that mostly benefit corporations and the wealthiest Americans.
“ Scott Perry was elected as our congressman. He should be protecting us, not screwing us,” Glen Dunbar, a retired Pennsylvania Department of Aging employee, said during the press conference. “I’m especially disappointed in Scott Perry because he should know better.”
Dunbar, who once voted for the congressman, felt like he had the wool pulled over his eyes by Perry and the rags to riches story he shared to get elected.
“ I voted for him because he told this story about how he grew up poor in Harrisburg and how his grandparents were immigrants from Colombia and how his mother received public assistance to take care of the family,” Dunbar recalled.
”[Perry] climbed up the ladder out of poverty, … but [he] pulled up the ladder behind him and [he] forgot where he came from, and for that, he needs to be held accountable.”
Susan Bosco, a state worker with the Medical Assistance Program, expressed concern about the long-term effects of the new law. Many of the Medicaid cuts and changes won’t take effect until late 2026 and early 2027, an intentional move by Republicans to try and prevent voter backlash in next year’s midterm elections.
“This big ugly bill is causing so much trouble, but it won’t come all at once,” Bosco said. “And so perhaps after the 2026 elections, then more will kick in. More pain and suffering and exclusion will kick in. It’s just incredibly evil.”
