Chemung County residents urge local lawmakers to press Rep. Langworthy and oppose proposed Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security cuts

Dozens of Chemung County residents told the County Legislature on March 10 that proposed federal cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security would devastate local families and services and demanded that Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy hold an in‑person town hall.

Speakers said the House GOP 2025 budget vote on Feb. 25 would allow deep cuts — cited in public comments as $880 billion over 10 years — and warned the reductions would reduce access to care for people who rely on Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security. "Losing Medicaid isn't just a policy debate. It's my life," said Liz Penman of Elmira, who told the legislature she relies on Medicaid and Social Security disability.

The comments at the public‑comment portion of the Chemung County Legislature meeting included personal stories about how Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security support people with disabilities, veterans and older residents. Nancy McGowan Lester described her stepson with spina bifida who, she said, depends on Medicaid and Medicare for ongoing care. Caitlin Abbott Marsh described a child in her family with hemophilia whose treatment would become unaffordable without Medicaid.

Why it matters: Speakers and multiple community advocates said the programs at risk are the main source of health care and long‑term supports for thousands in the county. Jamal Abdul Malik, chair of the Chemung County Democratic Committee, told the legislature that 29,532 county residents rely on Medicaid as their primary health insurance, and urged local legislators to oppose the budget cuts and send a public resolution or message opposing them. Several speakers also urged the legislature to press for local help after a planned Social Security office closure and to seek contingency planning for local services.

During the two‑hour public comment period, residents repeatedly asked the legislature to demand an in‑person town hall from Rep. Langworthy. Multiple speakers said Langworthy’s office has offered telephone town halls but not in‑person meetings. "He and his Republican colleagues do not want to face us because they know that what they've done is indefensible," Jamal Abdul Malik said. Several speakers described contacting Langworthy’s office directly and said they received either form letters or no commitments to in‑person meetings. Multiple speakers asked the county legislature to call the congressman's office and to place formal requests or resolutions on the record.

Speakers linked the budget proposals to potential impacts on local providers and jobs. Megan Osterhout, a nurse and small‑business owner, said roughly 40,000 local residents could be affected and that area hospitals and care providers depend heavily on Medicaid and Medicare revenues. Christina Root, a direct support professional, told the legislature that services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities rely on entitlement funding and warned that cuts could lead to loss of community supports and re‑institutionalization.

Other topics raised during public comment included concerns about a planned Social Security office closure in the county and the installation of citywide camping bans in Elmira, which speakers said criminalize homelessness. Several speakers called for the county to investigate retaining Social Security services locally and to prepare contingency plans for increased local demand on social services if federal funding is reduced.

In response, the presiding officer of the legislature said he would take notes and contact Rep. Langworthy’s office and that the legislature would compile information for correspondence; he also said material would be put on the county website. The chair emphasized the county's limited authority over federal and many state decisions while acknowledging the legislature could send messages, pass resolutions or request meetings.

The meeting’s public‑comment portion closed after more than an hour of testimony. The concerns were entered on the record and will accompany meeting minutes. Residents asked the legislature to consider drafting a formal resolution opposing the federal cuts and to publicize any contact with the congressman's office.