MEDIA CONTACT:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Kirstin Snow, Communications Director; <\/span>snow@pennpolicy.org<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n MEDIA ADVISORY- August 18, 2026 | 6PM | PALMER TOWNSHIP<\/b><\/p>\n Lehigh Valley Advocates & Constituents to \u201cRaft up\u201d in SOS-Themed Town Hall Calling on Rep. Ryan Mackenzie to Answer for Rising Costs<\/b><\/p>\n Interactive event will feature makeshift rafts, an inflatable \u201cbillionaire yacht,\u201d life preservers and constituent stories illustrating how families are \u201cdrowning\u201d in rising costs<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Palmer Township, PENNSYLVANIA<\/span><\/i> \u2014<\/b> As Lehigh Valley families face rising costs for health care, gas, groceries, and other necessities, advocates and constituents will gather <\/span>Tuesday, August 18th<\/b> in Palmer Township for a unique, highly visual town hall calling attention to the federal policies making it harder for working families to stay afloat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At \u201cSOS! Affordability Crisis: The People\u2019s Raft-Up,\u201d attendees will literally \u201craft up\u201d to share their experiences with rising costs and send an SOS to Congressman Ryan Mackenzie. The interactive event will contrast working families struggling to stay afloat with an inflatable \u201cbillionaire yacht,\u201d highlighting participants\u2019 call for elected leaders to be accountable to working people rather than wealthy interests.<\/span><\/p>\n Last summer, <\/span>Congressman Ryan Mackenzie voted for historic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP<\/b>, ripping away health care and food assistance from hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians while helping finance tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. Mackenzie also supported <\/span>President Trump\u2019s tariffs<\/b> and <\/span>expensive war in Iran<\/b>. which are driving up costs across the board for Pennsylvanians. Organizers will connect those federal decisions to the affordability pressures facing working Pennsylvanians and call for policies that lower costs and ask billionaires, wealthy corporations and the ultra-rich to pay their fair share.\u00a0 For example, <\/span>working Pennsylvanians have paid more than <\/b>$3,900<\/b><\/a> a year because of these policies.\u00a0 <\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n WHO: <\/b>Pennsylvanians Together in Action, Affordable Pennsylvania, constituents, advocates<\/span><\/p>\n WHAT: <\/b>SOS! Affordability Crisis: People\u2019s Raft Up Interactive & Immersive Town Hall<\/span><\/p>\n WHERE: <\/b>Charles Chrin Community Center, <\/b>4100 Green Pond Rd, <\/span>Palmer Township, PA 18045<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n