Lisa McCormick slams Congressman Tom Kean Jr. vote to slash Medicaid

Progressive activist Lisa McCormick condemned Republican Congressman Tom Kean Jr. for his vote to pass a government funding bill that prioritizes military programs while slashing nondefense spending, jeopardizing vital services that millions of Americans rely on.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the continuing resolution (CR) in a narrow 217-213 vote, with Kean siding with his Republican colleagues to advance a bill that increases defense spending by $6 billion while cutting $13 billion from nondefense programs.

The bill, which funds the government through September 30, now heads to the Senate for consideration.

“Congressman Tom Kean Jr. has once again shown his true colors by voting to gut funding for critical programs that support working families, seniors, and vulnerable communities,” said McCormick. “This bill is an act of fiscal sabotage against Medicaid, Medicare, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It is an abuse of power over a disenfranchised jurisdiction—and the consequences will be devastating.”

The Republican plan includes an $880 billion cut to the Energy & Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP. While Republicans claim Medicaid cuts are off the table, the Congressional Budget Office has made it clear that their budget proposal cannot work without such cuts.

“Tom Kean Jr. is hiding from his constituents, refusing to hold public events, and failing to explain his votes,” McCormick added. “He has become a lapdog for the Trump administration and the billionaire class, voting to enrich defense contractors while slashing funding for mental health services, workforce training, and medical research. This is not leadership—it’s cowardice.”

McCormick also criticized Kean for his role in advancing a bill that gives the Trump administration unchecked power over federal spending, bypassing the traditional appropriations process.

“By voting for this CR, Kean and his Republican colleagues are abdicating their responsibility to govern and handing over the keys to the Trump administration,” she said. “This is not how democracy works.”

The bill’s passage marks a significant victory for House Speaker Mike Johnson and the Trump administration, which lobbied heavily to secure Republican support. Vice President JD Vance even attended a closed-door House Republican meeting to rally support for the measure, emphasizing that it would allow the administration to continue its efforts to “eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.”

“The American people deserve better than this,” McCormick said. “They deserve leaders who will fight for their interests, not sell them out to the highest bidder. Tom Kean Jr. has proven time and again that he is not up to the task.”

McCormick, who challenged disgraced former US Senator Bob Menendez in the 2018 Democratic primary, is hosting an organizing party in Flemington, New Jersey, this Saturday to rally support for Medicare for All and oppose the administration’s reckless dismantling of government agencies.

“Together, we will educate the public, bring new supporters into the campaign, and show the power of our movement at a crucial moment,” McCormick said. “Democrats can’t afford to play dead while Republicans wage war on working families. Americans must rise to the responsibility of citizenship and demand better from their leaders.”

McCormick expressed hope that Kean’s successor in 2026 will be a true progressive who prioritizes the needs of the people over partisan politics.

“There is virtually no chance that cowardly Congressman Tom Kean will be returned to Washington in 2026,” she said. “But we must ensure that his replacement is not another do-nothing Democrat who stands by while our government is dismantled.”

In response to America’s growing economic inequality and the looming threat to Social Security, McCormick presented a visionary proposal inspired by Huey Long’s 1934 ‘Share Our Wealth’ plan.

Her plan calls for "scrapping the cap" on Social Security earnings to secure its solvency and protect it from the potential 23 percent benefit cuts projected by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in FY 2034. The CBO warned that without intervention, Social Security will face insolvency by 2033.

McCormick highlighted the urgency of this issue, underscoring that neither party in Washington has offered a concrete solution to address the retirement program’s financial shortfall.

"President Trump’s proposal would actually worsen Social Security’s finances by pushing insolvency up to FY 2031," McCormick said. "Instead of imposing benefit cuts on hard-working Americans, I propose a simple, effective solution: scrap the cap on earnings over $176,100, ensuring that the wealthiest Americans contribute their fair share to keep Social Security viable."

"For too long, we’ve been sold the grand illusion that power resides with governments, corporations, and the well-heeled elite," McCormick said. "But the truth, plain and simple, is that power has always belonged to the people. It’s just been swiped from us, twisted, and tucked behind a rigged system built to keep us divided, distracted, and dog-tired."

"Although it’s been taken from us, reshaped, and hidden behind systems designed to divide us, distract us, and keep us from realizing our full potential," McCormick said. "The time has come to reclaim that power—to come together, to organize, and to build a future that works for all of us, not just those at the top."