Pappas Responds to President Trump’s Address to Congress
Tonight, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) attended President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress with his guest, Julie Mudd, a mother and advocate who has relied on several vital federal services to support her family that President Trump and Congressional Republicans are planning to or have already begun to dismantle and cut. New Hampshire families like Julie’s will also feel the brunt of cost increases brought about by President Trump’s indiscriminate, across-the-board tariffs.
“Tonight, as I have done under both Republican and Democratic Administrations, I attended the President’s address to a joint session of Congress,” said Congressman Chris Pappas. “I’m grateful that Julie Mudd could join me as my guest to help underscore the dangers of the reckless cuts to vital programs like Medicaid and SNAP that President Trump and Congressional Republicans are advancing.”
“While tonight could have been an opportunity to bring people together, what America witnessed instead was a profoundly partisan and divisive speech. President Trump campaigned on lowering costs, but what we heard was a plan to cut billions in federal programs that save families money, freeze hiring and funding that could delay care for veterans and hurt the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and implement across-the-board tariffs that will increase costs for essential items like groceries, housing, and home heating oil.”
“President Trump spoke at length about making the government more efficient and cutting costs, which I support in principle. That is why I introduced bipartisan legislation to responsibly consolidate and cut overlapping and duplicative programs that will save billions of dollars. But this process must be done with a scalpel, not a hammer, and the approach by Elon Musk and this Administration is hurting Granite Staters. I remain committed to lowering costs, safeguarding vital programs that families rely on, and working every day to bring people together, find common ground, and put New Hampshire first.”
Background:
Last week, Pappas voted against a Republican budget proposal that would slash Medicaid and SNAP to cover the cost of $4.5 trillion in tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. The cuts called for by the legislation would jeopardize health care coverage for 13.4% of Granite Staters, 30.1% of all New Hampshire children, and 64% of New Hampshire residents living in nursing homes. It would also raise health care premiums by an average of $640 per person, put food assistance for 18,500 at risk, and force New Hampshire to sunset the state’s Medicaid expansion program if the federal match for Medicaid expansion benefits is reduced even slightly.
In January, Congressman Pappas joined a letter to President Trump urging him not to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canada, the Granite State’s largest trading partner, and Mexico. The more than 350,000 households in New Hampshire that rely on heating oil, propane, and wood to heat their homes could see their bills increase due to tariffs put in place today. More than 70% of the imports of two essential materials that home builders rely on—softwood lumber and gypsum (used for drywall)—come from Canada and Mexico, respectively.