Granite Staters rally in Laconia to slam Trump and Project 2025’s plan to repeal benefits for seniors

“If I didn’t have Medicare, I would likely be out on the street or maybe living in an abandoned refrigerator box,” was how Lynn Thomas, Belknap County Democrats Co-Chair, described how she felt after receiving a quadruple bypass surgery and seeing the bill that followed.

Last week, Granite Staters gathered in Laconia to commemorate the anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and to voice their strong opposition to Project 2025 and Donald Trump and JD Vance’s  agenda, which they argue would significantly raise costs for New Hampshire seniors. They also highlighted the benefits the IRA has brought to the state’s senior population and the potential harms that could be caused by its repeal, one of the central pillars of Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda.

Thomas, along with State Representative Wendy Chase and Sanbornton Democrats Town Chair Catharine Farkas, led the event, joining with seniors from across the region in a postcard-writing campaign. Participants penned messages to fellow Granite Staters, warning of the potential dangers posed by the proposed rollback of the Inflation Reduction Act under the Project 2025 plan.

Thomas said her personal experience of undergoing that quadruple bypass surgery, and the staggering $500,000 medical bill that followed, gave her a first hand look at the critical role that Medicare played in preventing her from financial ruin.

“The idea of cutting Medicare is outrageous, but I know that there are people on the other side that want that. They have no idea how important it is to seniors and people with disabilities… It just reduces the fear and the anxiety to know that at least the costs will be covered in a reasonable way.” 

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“The Biden-Harris administration took on Big Pharma and won,” Chase said, emphasizing the IRA’s role in lowering prescription drug costs for 338,000 Granite State seniors and other Medicare recipients. “We’re here today to ensure that our neighbors understand what’s at stake if Trump’s agenda succeeds.”

The IRA, passed under the Biden administration, has been instrumental in capping out-of-pocket drug costs, reducing the price of insulin to $35 per month for seniors on Medicare, and allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices—measures that have been celebrated by seniors across New Hampshire. As Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz pledge to build on this progress, protecting and expanding these benefits also remains a central issue for the state’s Democratic leadership.

In contrast, the Trump Project 2025 agenda would repeal the IRA, including its drug price negotiation provision, which is expected to lead to a dramatic increase in prescription drug costs for New Hampshire’s senior population. Local Democrats argue that this would roll back critical protections and benefits that Granite Staters rely on, particularly those on fixed incomes.

At the event, Thomas pointed out the dire consequences of repealing the IRA, stating, “The Project 2025 agenda is a direct threat to the health and financial well-being of our seniors. We cannot afford to go back to a time when Big Pharma dictated prices, and seniors had to choose between paying for medications or other essentials.”