Stephanie Kappeler, a resident of Walnutport in the Lehigh Valley, wants policymakers to understand something: The country is struggling. She is struggling. People are living under constant stress as they try to afford groceries, healthcare and gas.<\/p>\n
When Kappeler\u2019s 6-year-old son slipped and smashed his head into the toilet seat a few weeks ago, she told the Pennsylvania Independent, she panicked because she didn\u2019t know if she could afford his hospital bill on top of groceries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s being squeezed in every angle \u2014 being able to afford the cost of healthcare just in case of an emergency, but then that doesn\u2019t actually cover everything,\u201d Kappeler said. \u201cSo then having to pay the follow-up, having to pay to feed your kids but having to pay to just get to the grocery store. It is really untenable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kappeler shared her story at an Aug. 18 town hall organized by Affordable Pennsylvania<\/a>. The event, titled \u201cThe People\u2019s Raft-Up\u201d and billed as an SOS!-themed affordability crisis town hall, drew people from throughout the Lehigh Valley to discuss financial challenges and to call on U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, the Republican congressman who represents the area, to reverse course on the policies he has championed.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mackenzie, who is up for reelection<\/a> in November, voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the budget bill that slashed funding<\/a> for Medicaid and federal food assistance<\/a> and cut taxes<\/a> for the country\u2019s wealthiest residents. He has also backed<\/a> President Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs<\/a> on goods imported into the United States, which have led to higher prices for groceries<\/a> and other consumer goods, including school supplies<\/a>, and supported<\/a> the Trump administration\u2019s war in Iran, which has caused energy costs<\/a> to rise worldwide. Along with other congressional Republicans, Mackenzie opted not to extend the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits<\/a> that helped millions of Americans purchase health insurance. Since the lapse of the tax credits, 191,000 Pennsylvanians have lost health coverage, according<\/a> to the state\u2019s ACA marketplace.<\/p>\n