The central piece of our day together will be making visits with our legislators and their staff. We know that this can be intimidating for some. But by being rooted in our baptismal call to strive for justice and peace, and going as church together, we know that these visits will be fruitful, and maybe even transformative!

Watch our Prep Meeting Webinar! In this, we’ hear from our partners about our specific legislative asks and will go over logistics for the day. Watch before Lutheran Day, so you can be prepared!

Meetings

LAMPa has arranged for meetings with your state lawmakers. Most have a set time to meet with their legislators and/or staff. Some may have a “drop off” – where you and your group will stop by the office to drop off materials and leave a message. For these offices, sometimes if a lawmaker or staff member happens to be available, you can still have an official meeting. The meeting schedule with be on our Guidebook app, and you’ll have the meeting information on your name badge. You can find out who your lawmakers are here, and we’ll connect you with others from your district to coordinate your meeting.

Priorities for Visits

Although LAMPa works in a variety of policy areas year-round, on May 13, our legislative visits will focus on two main areas – hunger and healthcare. With the federal budget reconciliation process focusing on cutting $880 billion dollars, primarily from crucial antipoverty programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, we are asking our state lawmakers to not only ensure Pennsylvania invests in caring for those in need, but also that they use their power and voice to speak up to their federal counterparts. Cuts and rollbacks at the federal level will only leave Pennsylvania in the impossible position of scrambling to fill the deficit or slashing programs vital to the most vulnerable.

Hunger Programs

ASK: Include $24.88 million for SFPP and $9.5 million for PASS in the 2025-2026 budget

The rising cost of food is a significant hardship not only for families, but services like congregational ministries that want to ensure everyone who needs a meal can get one. The State Food Purchase Program (SFPP) allows the state to buy food in bulk prices so more people can be fed. The PA Agricultural Surplus System (PASS) provides an efficient mechanism for Pennsylvania’s agricultural industry to donate safe, wholesome food products while being reimbursed for the costs involved in producing these foods. This reduces food waste and helps both farmers and hungry neighbors. These amounts reflect a $8 million increase over previous years, which is a step toward meeting the increase in needs seen at food banks and ministries across Pennsylvania.

In previous budgets, SFPP and PASS were incorporated into the same line item. This year, they are separated out to provide greater transparency and clarity.

More information:

ASK: Call U.S. Senators and Representatives to oppose SNAP cuts at the federal level.

Pennsylvania cannot make up the proposed cuts to SNAP at the federal level. More than 1 million Pennsylvania households participate in SNAP every month. Such drastic cuts not only harm those who are hungry and struggling to make ends meet, they also harm farmers who provide local food for hunger programs.

These cuts would slash SNAP by more than 20% and could cut some low-income children off from receiving vital school meals. The proposed cuts would either reduce benefits for all participants, expand work or bureaucratic requirements, remove approximately nine million people from the program entirely, or force states to shoulder benefit costs. Local food pantries and meal programs—many operated by Lutheran congregations—cannot fill the enormous gap that would be created by these cuts.

More information:

Healthcare

ASK: Support HB 79 – Medical Debt Prevention

More than half of Pennsylvanians have struggled to pay for health care, with more than a million reporting medical debt already in collections, according to a 2021 study. For many, a trip to the emergency room or even a planned surgery can mean overwhelming bills that can lead to a spiral of economic instability, family stress and unhealthy outcomes.

House Bill 79 would intervene in that cycle, aiming to prevent medical debt before a patient ever receives a bill, using programs that already exist. The legislation would reduce red tape, increase transparency and awareness and create a streamlined process for accessing health coverage and free or discounted care. For Pennsylvanians already struggling with medical debt, the program would reduce predatory practices by collection agencies.

Versions of this bill have passed the House with bipartisan support in past sessions. It recently passed the House Health Committee with unanimous support. It could go to the House floor for a full vote soon, and then to the Senate for consideration.

More Information

ASK: Oppose cuts to Medicaid Expansion. Call U.S. Senators and Representatives to oppose Medicaid cuts at the federal level.

1.3 million children in Pennsylvania are enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. For every $200,000 in federal funding provided by Medicaid Expansion, one new healthcare job and 1.2 other jobs are created in Pennsylvania, for a total of over 60,000 jobs created. Proposed cuts to Medicaid would not only affect millions of Pennsylvanians who rely on it for healthcare, it would have negative ripple effects throughout the economy.

We ask our state lawmakers to not only oppose any cuts in the state budget to provide for Medicaid expansion, but also to call on federal lawmakers to oppose cuts that affect the most vulnerable in our communities.

More information:

Why is Medicaid important to you? Share your story of why Medicaid has been important for you and your family, with this video storytelling tool from our partners at the Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN). LAMPa staff will also have access to your video and story and will use these to amplify our advocacy at the state and federal levels.

If you are new to advocacy, we have a variety of resources for you to prepare for meeting with your legislators. For example, check out our Advocacy Toolkit.