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November 2025 Recommendations for Ward 21 Division 24
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Author: Marc Stier
The OBBBA Reconciliation Bill: A Threat to Food Assistance in Pennsylvania
Originally published at Pennsylvania Policy Center on October 28, 2025. October 11, 2025 by Marc Stier and Laura Beltrán Figueroa VIEW IN A PDF READER. OBBBA’s threat to SNAP second revisionDownload Continue reading
Editorial Board Memo: Federal Shutdown’s Impact on SNAP
Originally published at Pennsylvania Policy Center on October 22, 2025. To: Editorial Boards, Columnists, Reporters, Legislators and other Interested Parties From: Marc Stier, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Policy Center Re: Impact of the Federal Shutdown on SNAP and other recent pieces on the federal shutdown Date: October 22, 2025 As the federal shutdown continues, an urgent problem has arisen. SNAP recipients, including two million people in Pennsylvania, are at risk of losing their November benefits. But as our research director Laura Beltrán Figueroa points out in a new blog post, reproduced below, the administration clearly has the legal authority to take steps to protect those benefits. Other recent pieces we have written on the shutdown include: An overview of the goals in rejecting the Republican continuing resolution. A summary of the health care issues at stake in the shutdown debate. An overview of federal employees in Pennsylvania at risk. A refutation… Continue reading
The Continuing Shutdown Fight to Save Health Care and Democracy
Originally published at Pennsylvania Policy Center on October 22, 2025. October 16, 2025 By Marc Stier The federal shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, continues. And the fundamental issues have not changed. The Republicans still want to pass a continuing resolution (CR) that would extend the budget from the year that ended on September 30th through sometime in November when, presumably, a full-year budget would be passed. That bill must be approved by a majority of the House and, because of the filibuster, 60 votes in the Senate. To get to those 60 votes, the Republicans need seven Democrats to vote for the CR. Because some Republicans in the House seek cuts to the budget, some Democratic votes may be necessary to pass the bill there as well. The need for Democratic votes means that this is a unique moment at which Democrats—and perhaps even a few Republicans who… Continue reading
Federal Shutdown Threatens Health Care for Nearly 1 million Pennsylvanians | Opinion
Originally published at Pennsylvania Policy Center on October 22, 2025. October 20, 2025 by Marc Stier Originally published on October 15, 2025, at PennLive – Patriot News The dispute about health care is the central reason the federal government is shut down now. Democrats are telling Republicans in Congress that they will not vote for a continuing resolution to fund the government unless Republicans agree to: (1) extend the expanded tax credit subsidies that keep marketplace coverage affordable for most people. (2) reverse the deep cuts to Medicaid that the reconciliation bill, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, imposed. Reversing those cuts is critical to hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians. Our state cut the uninsured rate nearly in half over the last decade, falling from 13.6% in 2013 to 7.1% in 2023. The big ugly reconciliation bill and the failure to extend expanded ACA tax credits will reverse… Continue reading
An Overview of the PA Health Care / Federal Budget Issue
Originally published at Pennsylvania Policy Center on October 22, 2025. VIEW IN A PDF READER. FedBudgetHealthcare_FactSheet_10-2025-WEB 1Download Continue reading
IGNORE THE NAYSAYERS–COME OUT TO NO KINGS PROTEST
I have seen some folks on Facebook with a fairly large following making utterly wrong and irresponsible claims about the No Kings protests. They are wrong. Our country, our future, our kids, need you to come out tomorrow. Find an event here. 1. I don’t there is much danger to attending the protests. I see absolutely no evidence that Trump intends to invoke the insurrection act and send either national guard units or federal troops anywhere that are not already there. The federal government can’t do this quickly and without warning. As far as I know, federal government does not have Star Trek style transporters than can move thousands of troops into a city without there being obvious movements that we and the press will see. As long as the protests are peaceful, I don’t think either the police in most places let alone federal forces will interfere with them.… Continue reading
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s Threat to Food Assistance in PA
Originally published at Pennsylvania Policy Center on October 11, 2025. CLICK TO READ FULL-SCREEN OR IN PDF READER OBBBA’s threat to Food Assistance second revisionDownload Following through on this proposal would cost Pennsylvania $10.46 billion over that nine-year period or roughly $1.16 billion per year. That is a reduction of approximately 20% of the $4.26 billion spent on SNAP each year in Pennsylvania. Here I want to describe the impact of these cuts on Pennsylvanians who rely on SNAP, reminding us all that SNAP does not just benefit those who receive it directly. The Importance of SNAP in Pennsylvania In Pennsylvania, SNAP benefits two million people or 15% of the state’s population. Of those two million, 58% are families with children. And 44% are households with family members who are seniors or disabled. More than 280,000 Pennsylvania SNAP recipients are over the age of 65. Of all Pennsylvania’s young people… Continue reading
The Seinfeld Shutdown in PA
Originally published at Pennsylvania Policy Center on October 10, 2025. October 10, 2025 by Marc Stier The Pennsylvania state budget is now 13 weeks—a quarter of the year—late. Yet it’s not clear what’s causing the delay. And frankly it appears to be about almost nothing but petty political disputes mostly coming from the Republicans—so we’re calling it the “Seinfeld Shutdown.” A short budget delay is not that serious. State laws and court decisions keep most state offices open even if a budget has not been passed. That reduces the pressure on legislators to pass a budget. But a budget delayed for a quarter of the year is now harming schools, social services agencies, and county governments that have been waiting for state payments. Many have taken out loans that will add to greater state spending to reimburse them for interest payments. The impasse is the result of both partisan and… Continue reading
Announcement: Our Executive Director Is Moving On
Originally published at Pennsylvania Policy Center on October 3, 2025. Our executive director Marc Stier shared this letter today with our colleagues and friends. October 3, 2025 Dear Friends, This week, the Pennsylvania Policy Center is announcing a search to replace me as executive director. I will stay until we hire a new executive director, which I expect will happen sometime between November and January, and work with the new executive director for as long as she or he wants to help ensure that the organization and its work thrive. You can find the job announcement and description here. Please share it with people you know who might be interested and are qualified to do the job. This is not an announcement that I’m retiring. I love my work and can’t imagine ever not doing it. It’s an announcement that I’ll be doing different work in the future and that… Continue reading