BERLIN, Vt. (WCAX) – New Hampshire Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander visited Coos County Thursday to talk with residents about what she sees as threats by the Trump administration to undermine Social Security and Medicaid.
The lunch crowd at The Berlin Senior Center had a special guest on Thursday, with Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander leading discussions on potential cuts to programs seniors rely on.
“My concern is that I am on Social Security disability,” said Allison Gallant, a 41-year veteran of the Air Force and Army National Guard. The uncertainty around her finances and health care came to a head while recently driving by the Veterans Center in Gorham. “And there was a for sale sign on the building, and I am wondering if their contract is being taken away, and we are going to lose our mental health care there.”
Goodlander says in order to achieve the cuts in the current budget proposed by Republicans, slashes to Medicaid are unavoidable.
“The Republican party has been at it for 15 years saying we’ll get something better, and they haven’t done it yet,” said Stanley Ouellette, a retired school teacher.
Along with health care coverage, another concern in the room is the potential closure of the Social Security office in Littleton and whether benefit checks are also in jeopardy. “I also have a state pension, so it’s going to hurt me. But it would really hurt a person who doesn’t have a state pension or any pension from where they work,” Ouellette said.
Patricia Berry, a retired paper mill worker who voted for President Trump, says she’s not concerned for the time being. “My Social Security I get every month,” she said. “I see what he is doing — a lot of people are upset. But you have got to give the man, you know, give him time and let him straighten things out.”
Bob Dugas, another lifelong paper mill employee from Berlin, says he’s fed up with all of it — cuts or no cuts. “We voted for them to represent us, and they are not representing us. They are just representing their own interests,” he said.
Goodlander says protecting the programs needs to be the priority, and she says seniors’ voices need to be heard.
