By Chris Bowman, Contributing Writer

As the federal government faces shutdown in 7 hours, Pennsylvanian GOP Congressmen are reacting to the budget, budget proposals, and what should happen if the Government were to dissolve.  Maybe the most interesting players to watch are the Republican Congressmen from the key swing districts of southeast PA, as they seek to balance campaign pledges their base without alienating voters in future elections.

Representative Gerlach (R-6) expressed frustration at the budget process as he explained that “This was a budget that should have been done last year and here we are in April 2011 still working on a budget for the rest of the fiscal year that should have been done last year.”

Worried that the government shut down would stymie pay to military families, Representative Dent (R-15) described Rep. Ryan’s budget “serious and sober.” However, in this press release Dent also disparages President Obama in support of Ryan: “Chairman Ryan’s proposal stands in stark contrast to the lack of leadership displayed by the Obama Administration in the release of its Fiscal Year 2012 budget request, which fails to address excessive federal spending.”

Echoing Dent’s thoughts was Representative Meehan (R-7) in this release “Chairman Ryan’s ‘Path to Prosperity’ budget proposal would cut $6.2 trillion in spending over the next 10 years and reduce the deficit by $4.4 trillion. In contrast, the President’s budget would raise taxes by $1.5 trillion and add $9.1 trillion to the debt… The time to act is now.”

Congressman Fitzpatrick (R-8) also supported the GOP budget, saying “I was sent to Washington to get government spending under control, instill confidence in private sector job creators and spark economic recovery. The spending status quo is no longer acceptable and the budget proposed by the President does nothing to alter this unsustainable course. The Republican budget cuts $6.2 trillion over the next decade and puts us on a path to a balanced budget, important steps towards America’s long-term fiscal stability.”

These fiscally-conservative Republicans seem to be backing their party on the budget issue, as most legislators across the state do the same. We’ll see how their constituencies react to the issue at the polls in 2012, and if the federal government is up and running next week.