Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he hopes Democrats will prioritize health care and food aid when they take control of Congress in January, while urging them not to forget to hold the Trump administration accountable.
“I hope one of the first things Congress does is stop these cuts to Medicaid, stop the SNAP cuts, reverse the cuts, the actual cuts to the Affordable Care Act,” Shapiro said in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday.
Shapiro noted that in Pennsylvania alone, 510,000 people are losing health care and another 143,000 are losing SNAP or food assistance because of budget cuts approved during President Donald Trump’s second term.
“In general, though, I think Democrats need to have an aggressive agenda that cuts costs, that ends the war, that gets put on the president’s desk,” he said. “I hope he signs it because it will be a common-sense measure that will improve people’s lives.”
Trump has said he intends to work with Democrats when Congress begins its new term, although he has also touted a new “VETO” branded hat since Republicans lost the majority in the midterm elections.
Shapiro said that if Trump chooses to veto the Democrats’ legislation, “it’s yet another signal to the American people that the president doesn’t care about their well-being.”
While the governor stressed the importance of revitalizing the Medicaid and SNAP programs, he also said Democrats should remember to hold the Trump administration accountable.
“I think Congress needs to be sensitive to voters’ views on corruption, and this administration needs to have real accountability,” Shapiro said, adding that Democrats need to “walk and chew gum at the same time” to pass effective legislation and also “have real accountability for the corruption that exists in Washington.”
“It can’t be one or the other,” he said. “It has to be both/and.”
Shapiro added that Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who is poised to become the next House speaker, “has made it very clear that both will be on the agenda for the first 100 days and for the next two years.”
The governor said he doesn’t think Democrats should still be thinking about the 2028 election. Instead, “we should be thinking about how to make people’s lives better in 2027,” he said.
“It’s now up to Congress to do it, and it’s now up to governors to continue to lead the way in our states,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro, who has been touted as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, has not committed to running.
Asked if he was more likely to run than not, Shapiro said he was focused on “how we could advance policies like raising the minimum wage and many other things that have been blocked by Republicans” as Pennsylvania Democrats won a majority in the state Legislature on Tuesday.
He also did not directly answer whether he was committed to serving his entire four-year term.
“Well, I’m committed to running for governor, and that’s the job I’m focused on,” Shapiro said. “And if I have anything to say about my future, I would like to come back on your show and talk about it.”
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