FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Adrienne Standley, Pennsylvanians Together in Action, standley@pennpolicy.org
RELEASE: As Families Feel the Squeeze of Rising Costs, Traveling “Affordability Crisis” Lemonade Stand and Giant “Receipt” of Rep. Fitzpatrick’s Record Pop Up Outside of his Langhorne Office.
Pennsylvanians Together in Action, MomsRising Together, and Economic Security Project Action joined Fridays Without Fitzpatrick to spotlight on rising health care and household costs in Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District
Langhorne, PA– On Friday afternoon, September 25, Pennsylvanians Together In Action (PATIA), MomsRising Together, and Economic Security Project Action brought the “PA Feels the Squeeze” traveling lemonade stand to Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s district office in Langhorne as part of The Price Is High Affordability Week of Action.
The event featured free lemonade, district-specific affordability fact sheets, a poster-sized “Republican Receipt” examining Rep. Fitzpatrick’s record on affordability alongside household costs in his district, and themed signs.
The handmade lemonade stand sparked conversations amongst attendees about how rising costs for health care, groceries, child care, utilities, gas, and other everyday necessities are affecting their lives. Attendees shared experiences ranging from the rising cost of pet food for an animal rescuer, to the impacts of health care cuts for a small business owner operating her optometrist office, to another constituent struggling to afford groceries.
Paired with the Brian Fitzpatrick Receipt, PATIA’s congressional district fact sheets (read the full fact sheet for Fitzpatrick’s district here) helped set the stage for the conversation, highlighting information about affordability in the district such as:
- 48.5% of all renters in CD1 are cost burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent.
- 9,300 people have recently lost access to SNAP benefits due to federal cuts.
- After the ACA premium tax credits were allowed to expire, the cost of health insurance premiums skyrocketed. In PA’s 1st congressional district, an estimated 32% of people who are enrolled in Pennie are projected to terminate their coverage.
- Funding cuts and changes to Medicaid are projected to cause:
- 2,400 jobs lost in the district
- $180M in lost state and local tax revenue
- 10,000 people in CD1 could lose Medicaid coverage as a result of work requirements and additional red tape.
- By 2034, 28,800 people in the district who were covered by Pennie or Medicaid could become uninsured.
Cuts to health coverage and food assistance will raise costs for families, reduce economic stability, and strain local budgets. Thousands of residents could lose coverage, millions of federal dollars could be pulled out of the district, and more families will face hunger and medical debt. These changes will also impact local hospitals and health care jobs. Lower Bucks Hospital in Bristol is one of 47 Pennsylvania hospitals identified as having moderate to significant risk factors for closure because of cuts to Medicaid funding.
The first in a series of “PA Feels the Squeeze” events, the Langhorne stop built on PATIA’s ongoing health care affordability and accountability campaign, examining how federal policy decisions are affecting access to and the cost of health coverage.
(photo credit, both: Isaiah Gaymon)
The event also came as Pennsylvania continues to experience significant health coverage losses tied to higher costs. Pennie, Pennsylvania’s official health insurance marketplace, reports that nearly 202,000 Pennsylvanians have canceled coverage during 2026, after premiums doubled on average following the expiration of enhanced federal premium tax credits.
The Langhorne event also highlighted Fitzpatrick’s voting record on H.R. 1. Fitzpatrick voted for the original House version of the legislation, which passed 215–214. His vote helped advance the bill to the Senate with significant Medicaid changes already included. He later voted against the Senate-amended final version of the bill.
PATIA’s campaign is highlighting the relationship between federal policy decisions, congressional voting records and rising household costs in PA-01. Fitzpatrick serves as co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus and as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee’s Health Subcommittee.
RESOURCES & VISUALS:
Read the PA-01 Congressional Fact Sheet | Send a Letter to Rep. Fitzpatrick
PATIA will release additional affordability information, constituent stories, event content and calls to action throughout September 23–30. Follow Pennsylvanians Together In Action on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, X, and ON BLUESKY. Follow #ThePriceIsHigh for Week of Action content.
The Brian Fitzpatrick Receipt is one of a series released nationally by Economic Security Project Action that places lawmakers’ public statements about affordability alongside congressional voting records and information about household costs.
National Republican Receipts and additional Week of Action resources are available through Economic Security Project Action: https://economicsecurity.us/campaign/receipts/.
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About Pennsylvanians Together In Action
Pennsylvanians Together In Action (PATIA) is a statewide 501(c)(4) advocacy organization that organizes and mobilizes Pennsylvanians to advance policies that make our Commonwealth more affordable and ensure working families can thrive. Through advocacy, organizing, civic engagement, and public education, PATIA works to advance economic security, strengthen our democracy, and hold elected officials accountable to the communities they represent.