¶ Overview
Bresnahan repeatedly promised that he would protect Medicare and would not vote for a bill that gutted the benefits his neighbors relied on. Then he voted for a bill that would trigger $500 billion in cuts to Medicare.
¶ Despite Promising Not To Vote For A Bill That “Guts The Benefits My Neighbors Rely On,” Bresnahan Voted For Massive Cuts To Medicare
¶ 2024: While Campaigning For Congress, Bresnahan Promised He Would Not Vote For Cuts TO Medicare
4/20/24: Bresnahan Claimed That, If Elected, He Would Preserve Medicare. Rob Bresnahan tweeted an audio clip of him saying, “I’ve been on the Record. I will never touch Medicare and I will never touch social security. In fact, I’m going to preserve it, for our current senior citizens, the next generation, my generation, and my future generation. Because we pay into a system it should be there for us.”
[Twitter, @Rob4PA, 4/30/24] (audio)
7/30/24: Bresnahan Campaigned On The Promise That He Would “Never Propose Nor Support Any Measures To Raise The Retirement Age Or Cut The Social Security And Medicare Benefits Our Seniors Rely On.” According to an opinion by Rob Bresnahan published in Broad and Liberty, “Members of Congress have a responsibility to defend Social Security for workers and retirees who paid into the system throughout their lives. Our retired Americans have worked diligently and paid into the system for decades. They have played by the rules, and anything but the best services and programs for our seniors is unacceptable. We must support our senior citizens to enable them to live with dignity and without fear of poverty. They have paid into Social Security and Medicare over a lifetime of hard work and deserve to retire with the benefits they’ve earned. Again, I will never propose nor support any measures to raise the retirement age or cut the Social Security and Medicare benefits our seniors rely on.” [Rob Bresnahan Opinion – Broad and Liberty, 7/30/24]
- Bresnahan Said He Was “Committed To Strengthening And Protecting Social Security And Medicare Into The Future.” According to an opinion by Rob Bresnahan published in Broad and Liberty, “I want my position to be clear. I am committed to strengthening and protecting Social Security and Medicare into the future, but cutting benefits or raising the retirement age is a non-starter with me. But we must not bury our heads in the sand as it relates to the very real crisis of the solvency of the Social Security Trust Fund, which is projected to be depleted by 2033. If the politicians in Washington allow this to happen, it will lead to a mandatory 21 percent cut.” [Rob Bresnahan Opinion – Broad and Liberty, 7/30/24]
- Bresnahan Vowed To Work Across The Aisle To “Do What Is Best For All Of My Constituents.” According to an opinion by Rob Bresnahan published in Broad and Liberty, “As our campaign progresses, I am sure my opponents will try to lump me in with any other Member of Congress in the country who has called for changes to Social Security and Medicare. These cheap, low-rent attacks are trying to play the people of Northeast Pennsylvania as fools. They are also emblematic of the silly partisan politics we see from career politicians in Washington, DC. They think everything is an either-or issue, which is why nothing seems to get done anymore. That is why if I am elected to Congress, I will make it a point to work with both Democrats and Republicans to do what is best for all of my constituents.” [Rob Bresnahan Opinion – Broad and Liberty, 7/30/24]
9/6/24: Bresnahan Vowed To Never Support Raising The Retirement Age Or Cutting Benefits To Seniors. According to a post on Rob Bresnahan’s Twitter page, “It’s your money, you paid into the system, and the government needs to keep its promise to every American. I will not support raising the retirement age or any benefit cuts to these programs. http://RobforPA.com”
[Twitter, @Rob4PA, 9/6/24]
12/4/24: Bresnahan Scoffed At The Concept Of Cutting Benefits, Saying “Obviously, We Can't Cut Medicare. We Can't Cut Social Security.” According to Fox News, "The young lawmaker said there will be ‘tough votes’ on discretionary spending when Congress convenes in January. But two of the largest contributors to the federal debt and deficit will remain untouched. ‘Obviously, we can't cut Medicare. We can't cut Social Security. We have to preserve that for our current generation, and we have to find ways to preserve it for our generation and the next generation. But I don't believe that there's a one-size-fits-all policy on any circumstance, let alone the national debt and the expenditures of the federal government,’ Bresnahan said." [Fox News, 12/4/24]
Bresnahan Vowed To Oppose “Any Benefit Cuts” To Medicare Or Social Security On His Campaign Website. According to Rob Bresnahan’s campaign website:
[Rob Bresnahan Campaign Website, robforpa.com, Accessed, 7/8/25]
¶ After Getting Elected to Congress, Bresnahan Promised He Would Not Cut Medicare
2/14/25: Bresnahan Promised He Would Not Vote For A Reconciliation Bill That Gutted Social Security, Medicare, Or Medicaid. According to a press release from Rep. Rob Bresnahan’s office, “Today, U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. (PA-08) released the following statement in response to current budget reconciliation negotiations: ‘I ran for Congress under a promise of always doing what is best for the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania,’ said Rep. Bresnahan. ‘If a bill is put in front of me that guts the benefits my neighbors rely on, I will not vote for it. Pennsylvania’s Eighth District chose me to advocate for them in Congress. These benefits are promises that were made to the people of NEPA and where I come from, people keep their word.’ Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District is home to more than 200,000 Medicaid recipients, amounting to 25% of the district. Additionally, it is home to 66,000 Medicare recipients, and 190,000 Social Security recipients.” [Press Release - Rep. Rob Bresnahan, 2/14/25]
Bresnahan: “If It Comes Down To Benefit Cuts For Existing Recipients And If It Is In The Reconciliation Bill, It's Going To Be A Really Tough Ask For Me To Support Something Like That.” According to an interview Rob Bresnahan gave on the Rob O’Donnell show, “BRESNAHAN: So but obviously, if it comes down to benefit cuts for existing recipients and if it is in the reconciliation bill, it's going to be a really tough ask for me to support something like that. I ran, I've been on the call where those were vicious ads against me suggesting that I was going to cut Medicare, I was going to cut Social Security, I was going to cut Medicaid. And I am adamant and I wrote op eds that I was going to fight and strengthen and preserve Social Security, not just for the current receiving generation, but for my generation and my kids’ generation. So we have to look at this from a comprehensive perspective that, you know, we have to come up with ways and you're looking at what we are being tasked to come up with. Now, the current resolution also does and will increase national debt by over $3 trillion over ten years. So, you know, we have a mandate to preserve the TCJA. We have the mandate for no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security. But, you know, I also don't think the CBO is being very fair and capping our growth projections at 2.6%. There's been many different studies that suggests there's no reason why we can't get to 3% growth. And if you take that difference of point four, that's almost as much as the instruction that was set forth by energy and commerce. So, you know, it's a juggling act. We have to balance the left side of the scale with the right side of the scale, but it's not going to be on the backs of the 225,000 people that are recipients of Social Security inside of my district.” [The Rob O’Donnell Show, 2/19/25] (audio)
Bresnahan: “52% Of You Believe That The Most Concerning Issue Facing Us Today Is Protecting Medicare, Medicaid And Social Security. And I Wholeheartedly Agree With You.” According to a tele-town hall hosted by Rep. Rob Bresnahan, "BRESNAHAN: I want to take a moment to highlight some of the poll questions from this evening, where 52% of you believe that the most concerning issue facing us today is protecting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. And I wholeheartedly agree with you. I stand with President Trump in opposing gutting Medicaid. And like I've said time and time again, my position on this has not and will not change." [Rep. Rob Bresnahan Tele-Town Hall, 3/25/25] (audio)
¶ 2025: Bresnahan Voted For the Republican Reconciliation Bill, Which Would Trigger Nearly $500 Billion In Medicare Cuts
May 2025: Bresnahan Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Included $3.8 Trillion In Tax Cuts Offset By $1.5 Trillion In Spending Reductions To Programs Like Medicaid And The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In May 2025, Bresnahan voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill that would provide for approximately $3.8 trillion in net tax cuts and $321 billion in military, border enforcement and judiciary spending, offset by $1.5 trillion in spending reductions, as instructed in the fiscal 2025 budget resolution (H Con Res 14). It would raise the statutory debt limit by $4 trillion and provide for increased spending on defense and border security, spending cuts on social safety net programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It also includes a mix of tax breaks for businesses and individuals; tax increases on universities and foundations; and a phase-down of clean energy tax credits. […] It would reduce federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by requiring states to shoulder more of the cost, expand work requirements for SNAP, extend programs authorized under the 2018 farm bill, and prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture from increasing the cost of the Thrifty Food Program. As amended, it would cap state and local tax deductions at $40,000 for households with incomes below $500,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 215 to 214. [House Vote 145, 5/22/25; Congressional Quarterly, 5/22/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
July 2025: Bresnahan Voted For The Senate FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Extended $4 Trillion In Expiring Tax Cuts, Added New Tax Breaks, Appropriated $448 Billion In Defense, Border, And Immigration Enforcement Funding, Increased The SALT Deduction To $40,000, And Cut Medicaid And Other Social Programs To Offset The Costs. In July 2025, Bresnahan voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the bill that would permanently extend nearly $4 trillion in expiring individual and business tax cuts, create several new tax breaks and fund border and immigration enforcement and air traffic control upgrades. It would cut Medicaid and other safety net programs to partly offset the cost. Among other provisions, it would raise the statutory debt ceiling by $5 trillion and appropriate more than $448 billion in mandatory funding for Trump administration priorities and other needs, including $153 billion for defense, $89 billion for immigration enforcement, and $89.5 billion for border control and security. It also would increase the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000 annually for five years for households making up to $500,000 a year until 2030, when it would permanently revert to $10,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 218 to 214. [House Vote 190, 7/3/25; Congressional Quarterly, 7/3/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
¶ Congressional Budget Office Estimated That The Republican Reconciliation Bill Would Trigger Nearly $500 Billion In Cuts To Medicare
HEADLINE: "Trump And GOP’s Tax Bill Would Force Cuts To Medicare, CBO Says" [Washington Post, 5/21/25]
Congressional Budget Office Estimated That The House Republican Reconciliation Bill Would Trigger Nearly $500 Billion In Cuts To Medicare. According to a letter the Congressional Budget Office sent to Rep. Brendan Boyle, "Today the Congressional Budget Office transmitted an estimate of the budgetary effects of the 2025 reconciliation bill, as ordered reported by the House Committee on the Budget on May 18, 2025. 1 CBO has not yet completed estimates of the effects of interactions among the titles of the legislation. This letter responds to your questions concerning the sequestration (the cancellation of budgetary resources) in accordance with the Statutory Pay‑As‑You‑Go Act of 2010 (S-PAYGO) that would occur if an enacted bill raised deficits by $2.3 trillion over 10 years. Under S-PAYGO, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is required to maintain 5- and 10-year scorecards that it updates with the estimated cumulative changes in revenues and outlays generated by newly enacted legislation. […] The 4 percent maximum reduction in Medicare spending would apply to sequestration orders for years after 2026. If OMB ordered a sequestration of $230 billion for each year through 2034, the ordered reductions in Medicare spending would increase to about $75 billion in 2034 and would total roughly $490 billion over the 2027–2034 period." [Letter to Rep. Brendan Boyle – Congressional Budget Office, 5/20/25]