If you’re feeling uneasy or overwhelmed by the news coming out of Washington, D.C., you’re not alone. The reckless changes to our federal government have been swift, confusing and often contradictory.

It’s clear that the Trump administration’s destructive vision and chaotic style threaten programs that many Pennsylvanians depend on like Medicaid, Medicare, veterans’ healthcare and Social Security. Federal workers have been dismissed without cause. And our most fundamental rights are at risk.

Action can help alleviate anxiety.

As a state representative in Harrisburg, I don’t get a vote on Trump’s shortsighted plan to dismantle our federal government or destroy the programs that many of our neighbors rely on like Social Security, but I do hear and empathize with people who are worried about these harmful changes, and I share your concern.

But action can help alleviate anxiety. And my colleagues and I in Harrisburg are acting. At the state level, we’re championing programs and advancing policies to minimize or counteract some of Washington’s most harmful cuts. We’re acting to reduce the cost of groceries, protect access to healthcare, and help families keep more of their hard-earned money.

Lowering your grocery bill

According to a CBS poll administered in late March, 64 percent of Americans think the Trump administration is not doing enough to lower prices. We’ve all felt the pinch as we watched the cost of eggs soar 186 percent between January 2024 and January 2025.

Partially driving the skyrocketing prices are bird flu outbreaks at poultry farms. To help, the first law the PA legislature passed this year was to certify more poultry technicians to monitor bird flocks for diseases like the avian flu. Minimizing the impact of outbreaks means fewer disruptions to the poultry supply and lower prices for consumers.

Protecting your healthcare

Access to healthcare can be the difference between life and death. And the Affordable Care Act — aka Obamacare — has been saving lives for 15 years. More than half a million Pennsylvanians rely on the ACA for coverage, and we all benefit from the landmark law’s protections. To safeguard these protections, in March, the state House approved a package of bills to secure four popular ACA protections in state law.

The bills, which all garnered bipartisan support, would:

• • Protect Pennsylvanians with pre-existing conditions.
  • End lifetime limits on insurance.
  • Keep young adults covered.
  • Keep access to life-saving preventive healthcare services.

The state House passed several of these measures in the last legislative session, but the Senate failed to consider them. I’m hopeful that this year Senate Republican leaders, having witnessed their own majority shrink as a result of the Trump administration’s policies, will think about the tens of thousands of their neighbors who depend on the ACA and approve these bills this session.

Saving you money

For many families, one unplanned expense, whether it is a car repair, medical bill or another emergency, can wreck the household budget. And it is getting harder for working people from rural, urban and suburban communities across the state to secure their place in the middle-class.

In 2023, the legislature tripled the tax credit for families with child or dependent care costs. Now we’re championing a Working Pennsylvanian Tax Cut (like the federal Earned Income Tax Credit) to help even more families keep more of their hard-earned money.

A Working Pennsylvanian Tax Cut would reduce the tax load on low- to middle-income families and make PA more competitive to keep families here.

Last month, at a public hearing in Chester County, experts shared how a tax cut could benefit a million working Pennsylvanians, helping them save $200 to $2,000 (depending on family size and income).

Thirty-one states already offer similar programs, which promote work and boost employee retention, so businesses save on the cost of recruiting, hiring and training new employees. Plus, every dollar spent on a state earned income tax credit can generate $4 in revenue — bolstering local economies. A Working Pennsylvanian Tax Cut would reduce the tax load on low- to middle-income families and make PA more competitive to keep families here.

If you feel anxious or exhausted about the changes in Washington that are driving up costs for PA families, know that state House Democrats in Harrisburg are focused on solutions that will help your family save money and stay healthy.

PA Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton represents portions of Philadelphia and Delaware counties. She is the first woman and second African American to serve as speaker of the nation’s oldest continuously operating state legislative body.

The Citizen welcomes guest commentary from community members who represent that it is their own work and their own opinion based on true facts that they know firsthand.

COVERAGE OF STATE POLITICS FROM THE CITIZEN