Pallone Addresses Healthcare Cuts, Rising Costs At Metuchen Town Hall

METUCHEN, NJ – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) held a town hall at Metuchen High School on Thursday, that drew hundreds of constituents concerned about rising costs, healthcare cuts, and the Trump administration's policies affecting essential government programs.

As the ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Pallone addressed numerous questions while emphasizing a central theme - citizen engagement drives positive change.

"I successfully fought back against Trump's cuts to the 9/11 health care program because constituents raised their voices," Pallone told the audience. "When I heard from first responders like Frank Granger in Piscataway, I made sure my colleagues in Congress understood what was at stake—Trump was ripping away care that 9/11 heroes depend on just to hand more money to billionaires. That public pressure worked. The administration paused the layoffs. That's the power of speaking out."

Pallone encouraged attendees to maintain pressure on elected officials. He highlighted concerning proposals including an $880 billion reduction to Medicaid, a potential executive order to eliminate the Department of Education, and cuts to Social Security services.

The Congressman warned attendees that these measures would burden local communities and endanger vulnerable populations including seniors, children, and people with disabilities.

He specifically cautioned that dismantling the Department of Education would likely force New Jersey municipalities to increase property taxes to maintain schools, while Medicaid cuts would severely impact vulnerable residents statewide.

"Republicans handed power to unelected billionaires like Elon Musk to make these decisions behind closed doors," Pallone said. "But they still answer to you. When constituents flood their offices, share their stories, and demand action—that's how we stop these attacks."

This town hall follows a significant increase in constituent outreach to Pallone's office, with thousands voicing opposition to Republican proposals affecting Medicaid, Social Security, and federal workforce protections.

On March 18, Pallone hosted a virtual town hall focused on proposed Medicaid cuts, which attracted hundreds of participants.

"This room was full of passionate questions for a reason," Pallone said. "New Jersey residents are paying attention... And they're ready to fight back. The only way we stop these cruel policies is by showing up—and tonight, you did just that."

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