Letters to the Editor | July 3, 2025

I find it so sad that the Republican senators chose to extend tax credits to the wealthy and corporations while stripping health coverage from at least 17 million Americans, many of whom are the working poor. Those families have children, and the Senate Republicans chose to cut $230 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to fund the wealthy’s lifestyle. Thirteen million people live in Pennsylvania. Currently, more than 1.7 million of them experience food insecurity. In 2023, Pennsylvania was the seventh-leading state in which children experienced food insecurity. This translates to more than half a million children, or one in six bellies that are gnawing with hunger. Hard to believe so many children in the richest nation in the world are hungry. We saw how Jeff Bezos spent his billions in Venice, Italy. Trickle down? I doubt it. It hurts to see powerful Americans choose to feed their ambition rather than children and their families.

Roberta Levine, Philadelphia, vineoa829@gmail.com

Sen. Dave McCormick has completed his betrayal of the citizens of Pennsylvania. He wholeheartedly supported the Department of Government Efficiency and the president’s disastrous cabinet choices, and now he has voted to strip thousands of Pennsylvanians of much-needed medical and nutritional assistance. I hope he enjoys his tax cut.

Susan Olson, Ambler

Given recent events, I want to correct the record on the recent Inquirer profile of Sen. Dave McCormick. “He believes the changes to Medicaid can be ‘surgical’ and stressing the need to slow the program’s growth.” The budget bill is more aptly described as murderous, potentially causing up to 51,000 preventable deaths annually nationwide. “This is an area that’s spiraling out of control.” Republicans shamelessly force-feeding this wildly unpopular budget onto constituents as a kind of insidious political terrorism is indeed spiraling out of control. Let’s not forget that McCormick voted against our best interests and well-being, and that in 2031, we vote better. By then, it is projected that thousands of Pennsylvanians will have died a preventable death due to the healthcare cuts he supported. We can honor them by denying McCormick another term.

Melissa Gramstad, Royersford

As someone living with Type 1 diabetes, I must have health insurance to get the medical care I need to remain alive and healthy. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, I can no longer be outright denied health insurance due to my preexisting condition. Purchasing health insurance through the ACA also offers me another benefit: I have access to enhanced premium tax credits to lower my coverage costs. While it’s still expensive, at more than $700 a month for my health insurance, it is manageable.

Without the tax credits, I would be paying $1,400 per month for the same plan. This isn’t the cost of care for an entire family; it’s just for me. As a small-business owner, the new cost would be incredibly burdensome to sustain. That’s why I’m alarmed by Congress’ refusal so far to extend these expiring tax credits in its proposed budget plan. Without the enhanced tax credits, the crushing weight of the costs of health insurance threatens the future of small businesses like mine. I urge Congress to stand with small businesses and support the ACA’s enhanced tax credits so entrepreneurs like me can keep accessing health insurance.

Andrea Deutsch, Narberth

Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 200 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.