Hundreds rally against Representative Mackenzie’s vote for budget cuts at People’s Town Hall

The Cathedral Church of the Nativity was anything but quiet on Thursday evening, as a People’s Town Hall rallied to discuss Congressman Ryan Mackenzie’s recent vote in favor of a House resolution that could pose threats to the Medicaid budget. 

The town hall, organized by Lehigh County Dems, PA Dems and the Northampton County Democratic Committee, was attended by more than 400 with a line of people trailing out the door who could not be admitted because the church was at capacity. 

The speakers included Congressional representatives, Lehigh County Officials and leaders of nonprofit organizations, all who made their opinions clear — cutting funding for Medicaid would be detrimental to American society and citizens. The town hall quickly turned into a rally in support of not just funding for Medicaid, but Constitutional values and Democratic freedoms. 

Mackenzie was not in attendance. He instead was present at his own telephone town hall that was scheduled for the same time. 

Outside the church, groups of people in support of the town hall’s agenda stood at the corner holding up signs objecting Mackenzie’s vote and were met with honks from those driving. Close by, people waving dissenting signs in favor of President Donald Trump and the Republican Party also seeked support from passersby.

People hold signs outside Bethlehem’s Cathedral Church of the Nativity on Thursday in support of the town hall’s agenda. An event decrying Congressman Ryan Mackenzie’s vote in favor of Medicaid budget cuts was held by state democratic organizations at the church. (Luke Kaiser/B&W Staff)

Doug Durham, a resident of southern Lehigh County, said he came to observe the town hall about an hour and a half before it started. 

He said he was told to put away his signs that supported the Republican Party before entering, but he was still prohibited from going inside after doing so. 

“They don’t want dissenting views,” Durham said. “Why would Representative Mackenzie come to an event like this when you have people that are unhinged, that are screaming at me, just to scream at him.”

Durham said Mackenzie was right to not show up to an event where no voices were supporting him.

Durham also said there were people in line behind him without reservations who were allowed to enter. While he also didn’t have a reservation, he said he felt he was prohibited because of his dissenting views, even though he would’ve been polite and respectful if he was admitted.  

He also said the organizers wanted to kick him off the church’s property, and the only reason he was allowed to stand outside was because a pastor allowed him to stay. 

“This isn’t democracy,” Durham said. “This isn’t freedom at work. This is an echo chamber of people who just want to hear people that agree with them. And that’s not what America is.”

Durham said Mackenzie has been voting in a manner that aligns with the campaign platform which got him elected. He said he believes Mackenzie should stand up the way Trump has, and he shouldn’t have to come to an event where there is no opportunity for open dialogue. 

Martha Capwell Fox, a member of the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, said she was disappointed but not surprised that Mackenzie did not attend the town hall. 

“I had some questions for him, and I’m, frankly, totally disgusted by the cowardice of our Republican representatives,” she said. 

She also said she was disappointed to see that the group that showed up at the town hall did not reflect the church’s large percentage of the Spanish-speaking population, nor residents of the surrounding neighborhood who are present at many other events hosted by the church.

Father Jon Stratton, the dean and rector of the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, opened the remarks at the town hall by saying he was happy to have provided a space for people to discuss healthcare. 

He also said the church was not endorsing a specific political party. Rather, he said, Jesus does not stand with people on the left or right of the political spectrum, but people on the bottom, who deserve access to healthcare.

The crowd gave a standing ovation and cheered as the speakers walked out. 

The event was primarily facilitated by Sharif Street, the chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, who opened the town hall by saying the Republican party has failed to protect the people and children in the country. 

“Of all the cowards there are in Washington D.C., there’s no one more cowardly than your Congressman Mackenzie,” he said.   

The first speaker to address the crowd was former representative Susan Wild, who lost to Mackenzie in the November election by less than 1%.  

“I’m going to ask the question – do you miss me yet?” she said, as the crowd responded with a definitive “yes.”

Wild said in her time as a representative, she attended a town hall in the reddest part of the 7th congressional district, where she willingly spoke to and answered questions from people who likely didn’t vote for her.

She said telephone town halls, like the one Mackenzie was hosting concurrently, should be reserved for situations like COVID, when there are concrete reasons people can’t attend in person. 

Despite Mackenzie’s claim that his telephone town hall had been planned in advance, she said he did not schedule it until after he saw the date and time of the People’s Town Hall. 

Michael Schlossberg, the majority whip of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, urged the crowd to remember times in the past when the Democratic party was in the minority and bounced back to regain the presidency. 

He also reminded attendees there is significant power in state and local legislatures, even while it can feel as if the federal government controls everything. He said he was thankful for Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, to whom the crowd reacted with applause. 

“If Trump is ultimately successful at slashing federal funding the way he wants, it will be up to those at the state and local level to mitigate the damage and give people the life and opportunity they deserve,” Schlossberg said. 

Dawn Godshell, the executive director of the nonprofit Community Action Lehigh Valley, then spoke about how federal orders have impacted the organization. 

She said the nonprofit is funded on a reimbursable basis, where the organization pays for its expenses itself and is then paid back by the government. 

In the past, she said the approximate time period of being reimbursed was four weeks. Now, she said it has taken eight to 12 weeks to be paid back, and the government owes over $1 million dollars to the nonprofit. 

Lehigh County Commissioner Jon Irons then addressed the crowd to discuss the impacts Medicaid budget cuts would have on both rich and poor citizens. 

He said billionaires should not be the ones running the government or making decisions for people, especially when they don’t know what it’s like to be a person who relies on federal programs for basic needs. 

“I believe people closest to the pain should be closest to the power,” Irons said. 

When Melissa Reed, the CEO of Planned Parenthood Keystone, then spoke, she was met with a standing ovation. She said cutting Medicaid’s budget would be detrimental to the services Planned Parenthood provides and would benefit billionaires like Elon Musk, who the crowd booed upon mention. 

She said Medicaid is the country’s largest health insurance program for sexual and reproductive health care, and it covers nearly 40% of children and one in four adults with disabilities.  

“We cannot allow the federal government to balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable while giving tax breaks to the most wealthy,” Reed said as an attendee yelled, “Tax the rich” from the crowd.

Mary Gay Scanlon, the representative for Pennsylvania’s 5th congressional district, apologized for the absence of Mackenzie, her fellow congressman, as she has attended two town halls in her district this week alone.

She said town halls across the country have been flooded in light of recent political activity, and one of the reasons is because there have been threats to values of freedom, fairness and family. 

She also encouraged the crowd to continue to show up to town halls and call local officials and politicians to make their voices heard. 

Following the introduction of Jamie Raskin, the representative of Maryland’s 8th congressional district, the attendees applauded in an ovation. He said he made a three-hour drive to Bethlehem for the event because he knew Mackenzie wouldn’t show up. 

“A rally a day keeps the fascists away,” he said.

Jamie Raskin delivers a speech at the People’s Town Hall at Bethlehem’s Cathedral Church of the Nativity on Thursday. Raskin said he drove three hours to speak at the event, since he knew newly-elected Congressman Ryan Mackenzie wouldn’t show up. (Luke Kaiser/B&W Staff)

Raskin also said the country is currently experiencing something more threatening than a congressional crisis — it’s undergoing attacks on the Constitution.

He said the true power of the government lies in Congress, and government officials attempting to destroy the National Weather Service, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Education will never have the courage to bring their resolutions to Congress because they know they would never pass, especially when they don’t even have the courage to face their constituents.

“Tonight we say to President Donald Trump, ‘Do your job,’” Raskin said as the attendees echoed the chant. 

Stratton then interjected, returning to the podium to say he was disappointed to see the event was turning into a Democratic convention as opposed to a civil discussion about Medicaid. 

“This is not a partisan place,” Stratton said. “Understand?”

“Too bad,” yelled an attendee in response. 

“The Constitution is not partisan,” yelled another.  

The town hall then turned over to questions from attendees. The majority who spoke expressed their fears and frustrations surrounding the current administration.

Father Jon Stratton, the dean and rector of the Cathedral Church of the Nativity stands at the podium. Stratton expressed his displeasures for the event, which he believed to be a Medicaid discussion, turning into a rally for the Democratic Party. (Luke Kaiser/B&W Staff)

Raskin assured them their fears are rational in light of recent policies, but citizens can do their part by contacting their elected officials to express their opinions.  

“What happens when Medicaid will disappear for Americans?” Raskin said. “People will die. This is not some abstract exercise in efficiency.” 

Grace Crampsie Smith, Bethlehem mayor candidate and councilwoman, asked how the budget cuts would impact the Allentown Health Center. 

Reed said the center serves 4,000 patients, and about 30% of them rely on Medicaid. She also said the budget cut could cause the center to lose up to $1.1 million dollars, meaning patients will have to pay out of pocket for their sexual and reproductive health care.  

Raskin closed the town hall by echoing the sentiments expressed throughout the event — Democrats need to fight to have their voices heard, because “this is a game where principles are at stake,” he said. 

In a follow up email with The Brown and White, Durham stated Stratton was rightfully disturbed by what he had witnessed at the event. 

“What took place last night might very well be a violation of law, by deceptively holding a political rally in a tax exempt church,” he wrote. 

Deb Santee attended the town hall. She said she thought it was a great town hall, and she got what she came for. 

What upset her, she said, was the minister interrupting the speakers.

“I just think he was totally out of line for that,” Santee said. “This is a Democratic town hall. Expect people to rally.” 

She also said she believes voters in future elections need to consider everything when supporting their representatives, as their decisions impact all aspects of life.  

“They’re killing our elderly and our veterans by what they’re doing,” Santee said. “It needs to stop. Trump needs to go.” 

In an interview with The Brown and White after the town hall, Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, said there are no rights that are guaranteed. He also said with the stroke of a pen on an executive order, Trump can take away programs that people rely on. 

He said college students particularly need to engage in the fight, especially if they are frustrated with what they’re seeing. Young voters make up the largest voting block in the country, but he said young people are also the group with the lowest rate of political participation.

“Students at Lehigh and all over this country have the power to change the direction of this country and even change the direction of this party,” Martin said. 

Brown and White reporter and editor Luke Kaiser contributed to this report.