Last November, as a proud Wayne County Democrat, I chose not to vote for Mr. Rob Bresnahan in the PA 8th congressional district (CD) House race. Regardless, I was somewhat relieved on February 20, when his letter appeared in this paper, reassuring NEPA residents that he would not vote for social safety net cuts in any House budget bill. 

Despite his claims of a “promise” that he would not vote to “gut the benefits my neighbors rely on,” that is exactly what he did in a strict Republican party line vote, which ultimately passed the House budget. 

He is defending his vote as “procedural.” I disagree, because those cuts will pay for the tax cuts the president has promised his ultra-wealthy friends.

I and many others have called both his district and Washington offices and insisted on his explanations and rationale, and finally asked for a live town hall to listen to him and express our own opinions in a face-to-face setting with him. 

Now I am reaching out to PA-08 voters of all political opinions. That includes (in Mr. Bresnahan’s words) the 200,000 Medicaid recipients, 66,000 Medicare recipients and 190,000 Social Security participants that reside in the 8th CD.

I am asking all of you to make your voices heard. Please make known your deep disappointment at Bresnahan’s utter betrayal of his promise. Express your opinions, call his offices, request a town hall meeting, and heat up the phones. These issues of health care and retirement are vital to us all—they are not just for the privileged class. These hundreds of billions in cuts will cost lives in so many ways. Raise your voices, now.

Barbara Leo
Honesdale, PA