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After 100 days of Senate Republicans putting politics ahead of people and refusing to negotiate in good faith on a state budget, House Democrats have had enough.
To demonstrate our true commitment to Pennsylvanians, I was proud on Wednesday to once again cast my vote for a state budget that clearly reflects the ability to govern through thoughtful compromise.
The first bipartisan budget plan the House sent to the Senate (H.B. 1330) on July 14 was met with silence. On Wednesday, we in the House again raised our voices—and our votes—and demanded that Senate leaders take this seriously.
And it is serious. Schools, counties, and organizations—such as rape crisis centers and Head Start programs—are all feeling the effects of Senate inaction and have been forced to cut services or take out loans to cover expenses normally paid for with state funding.
What the Senate is doing isn’t governing. It’s weakness.
Please join me in calling on Senate Republican leaders to end their political games and pass the House state budget, which funds schools and services, does not increase taxes, and is based on thoughtful compromise and a commitment to govern.
Senate leaders have acknowledged that they cannot get the 26 votes needed to pass a budget. Republicans hold 27 of the 50 seats.
Rep. Jordan Harris, Democratic Majority Chair of the Appropriations Committee, told Spotlight PA: “It's 100 days. This has to stop.”
“The governor wanted $51.6 billion,” Harris said of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s initial budget proposal. “We came down from that to $50.6 billion. We came down again, and now we're at $50.25 billion. Hell, we were okay at $49.999 billion if the Senate could get the votes—they could not. Time is up. We’ve got to pass a budget.”
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