Pike County joins Seven Days in June movement drawing attention to healthcare cuts

Seven days in June is a national movement aimed at drawing attention to budget cuts, specifically those related to healthcare, outlined in President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”

Movement highlights impact on local Pennsylvanians

At least 310,000 in Pennsylvania alone are set to lose their Medicaid coverage and SNAP benefits, partly because of the law’s new work reporting requirement, according to the PA Health Law project. In addition, there will be home equity limits to disqualify more homeowners from receiving Medicaid long term care. Many legal immigrants and survivors of domestic violence or trafficking will lose their Medicaid coverage.

According to former Milford mayor and activist Sean Strub, “Just in Pike County, more than 1,000 people will lose Medicaid coverage (36 percent of the county’s children are enrolled in Medicaid). Sixty percent of the households in Pike County who receive food stamps will see a cut or elimination of their food stamp benefits. In PA it is likely that four to six hospitals (mostly in rural areas) will close. In a small county like Pike, you can’t take $230 million out of our economy over a several year period without having an impact. I just think of all those people who are going to lose Medicaid coverage and food stamps who right now likely have no idea this is coming. When they passed the Big Beautiful Bill, the tax cuts for rich people went into effect immediately. But the pain--implementation of the budget cuts to pay for those tax cuts--was delayed until after the mid-term elections this coming November.”

Strub leads local efforts

The local “Seven Days in June” was well-planned and organized by Strub (with help from many others like Milford Mayor, Candace Mahala and Pike Couty Commissioner Crista Caceres). There were events on Monday, June 1 (A book reading and Sean Strub’s book, “Body Parts” with a discussion afterwards with Strub.) On Wednesday, June 3, there was a rally organized by Delaware Valley Action (DVA) and attended by the Pike County Democrats, as well.

DVA rally focuses on healthcare cuts

Bell Smith, board member of DVA explained that DVA Indivisible has a rally every Wednesday at the corner of Broad and Harford Streets from noon to 2pm to protest and call attention to issues they think are immoral and need resisting to. This week their rally was specifically targeting the healthcare cuts as part of their solidarity with the Seven Days in June movement. The members of the rally were holding signs, playing loud protest songs on a loudspeaker, and waving and shouting back to passing cars honing their horns in solidarity. Board member Gretchen Pollack pointed out that DVA is officially endorsing the Seven Days in June movement and officially joining in the campaign resistance movement.

Community joins together for a candlelight vigil

On Friday, June 5 there was a candlelight vigil in front of the DVA building on Broad Street.

Jay Blotcher, an American AIDS activist, journalist, and editor spoke with the experience of conviction. “This movement is for people to take their health care back,” he said. “I had come with the intention of motivating people to take action, but I see that there are many motivated energized people right here in Milford. I wish that people in NY were as energized.”