ICYMI: Boyle Joins Councilmember Lozada, Esperanza Health, NKCDC, and Project HOME to Call Out Federal Grant Cuts Hitting Kensington

PHILADELPHIA, PA - On Tuesday, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, held a press conference at CORE at Esperanza Health Center in Kensington alongside Esperanza Health, the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC), and Project HOME to highlight the harm caused by federal cuts to violence-prevention and housing funding, as well as broader cuts to health care access under HR1 that disproportionately affect neighborhoods like Kensington.

"One year ago today, Donald Trump was inaugurated for a second term," said Congressman Boyle. "We have seen more cuts nationwide as a result of his presidency than any other. It's very difficult for us to wrap our heads around when I say $5 trillion worth of tax cuts, $1 trillion worth of cuts to health care, hundreds of billions of dollars worth of cuts to nutrition assistance programs, to domestic violence programs. Hearing those numbers, it's really hard to just imagine what exactly the impact is. But for every one of those zeros, for every one of those numbers on a spreadsheet, there is an impact right here in our community, right here in the neighborhood of Kensington. Every single neighborhood in Philadelphia has felt the negative consequences of the cuts from this administration."

Boyle was joined by Susan Post, Chief Executive Officer of Esperanza Health; Philadelphia City Councilmember Quetcy Lozada; Dr. Bill McKinney, Executive Director of NKCDC; and Donna Bullock, President and CEO of Project HOME. The speakers warned that cuts through federal agencies such as the Department of Justice and the Department of Housing and Urban Development are undermining community-based work that saves lives, stabilizes families, and helps residents access care-at the same time Republicans' health care cuts and refusal to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits are driving costs higher.

"These aren't just statistics to us. They represent our friends, our neighbors, and our patients whose lives matter very much to us," said Susan Post, Chief Executive Officer of Esperanza Health. "We're very grateful to you, Congressman Boyle, and other representatives because you have continued to have the voice of advocacy, week in and week out, for our patients."

"To have someone in Washington advocating and championing for all of our needs and for better quality of life for all of us is extremely important," said Philadelphia City Councilmember Quetcy Lozada. "Those numbers translate to real people. They translate to real lives. And so it is important for us to join together and ensure that we continue to fight back, that we continue to advocate and show up and ask for the funding that communities like this one and across the city of Philadelphia deserve."

"Thank you in all honesty for your leadership and your perseverance and your heart for the people of Philadelphia," said Donna Bullock, President and CEO of Project HOME. "For more than three decades, Project Home has in fact been a leader working to break the cycle of homelessness here in the city of Philadelphia.  We know what saves lives, and this is not the time to abandon that."

"I really want to thank you, Congressman Boyle, for bringing us together, and for putting more light on this subject right now," said Dr. Bill McKinney, Executive Director of NKCDC. "These federal cuts are just one of many weapons that's a part of a war on cities. As predicted over the last year, we've seen this war on cities and on our most vulnerable community members. This is human beings we're talking about."

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, a three-year extension of the enhanced ACA premium tax credits would increase the number of Americans with health insurance by millions - including roughly 3 million in 2027 and 4 million in 2028. CBO has also estimated that Republicans' reconciliation bill - combined with their failure to extend these tax credits - would increase the number of uninsured Americans by 15 million.

District-by-district data on the consequences of the Republican health care crisis can be found on the House Budget Committee Democrats website here.

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