Gov. Josh Shapiro punched back at detractors and called on the Republican-controlled state Senate to return to Harrisburg and finalize a state spending plan.
Shapiro has been accused by GOP partisans of going back on his word on the agreed-upon $45.5 billion budget.
“I acknowledge the realities of a divided government,” he said at a press conference on Thursday. “For the first time in a dozen years, Democrats control one chamber and Republicans control the other. It’s a new dynamic in Harrisburg. And it’s unique compared to other states in a politically divided country. Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation with a full-time divided legislature. That means that one party can’t get done anything on their own.
“In the end, Senate Republicans did not close the deal with their House counterparts, rather than closing a deal that was within reach, with House Democrats.”
Republicans hold a 28-22 majority in the state Senate and sent the $45.5B plan to the House last week. The upper chamber had approved a plan to include $100 million for school vouchers (PASS Scholarships) that would let students use state funds to attend private and religious schools and believed that it had support from Shapiro.
“The Senate budget included PASS scholarships $100 million to help low income families in struggling school districts,” said the governor. “To empower parents, to put kids in the best positions for them to succeed. That was a proposal that I support. But House Democrats made clear that it would not pass their chamber, particularly with the Senate’s unwillingness to advance more of the houses’ priorities, who worked hard to develop a budget package that could win support of both chambers. But in the end, we could not reach final agreement between all three parties, which I made clear to the leaders of both chambers multiple times in private and in my public statements to all of you.”
Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward wrote on Twitter she missed his predecessor “because as much as we disagreed on the issues, his word actually meant something.”
“In the end, Senate Republicans did not close the deal with their house counterparts rather than closing a deal that was within reach with House Democrats,” said Shapiro. “Instead, they chose to send the State House a budget that was not agreed upon by all three parties, which contains the $100 million for a program that the House was unwilling to advance at this time. Our Commonwealth, I believe, should not be plunged into a painful, protracted budget impasse over one provision of this budget while our communities wait for the help and resources that they need.
“They may not like how this process played out, but it’s the process that they put into effect because of their inability to close the deal with the House Democrats.”
The Senate does have another bullet in its chamber, as Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, as president of the Senate, cannot sign the budget bill if the body is not in session. And Ward has recessed the Senate until September 18.
Shapiro urged them to return to Harrisburg to sign off on the bill, and also to work with the House to pass legislation to direct how the money can be spent.
“I recognize this budget isn’t law yet. I will sign this budget,” he said. “The Senate sent it to my desk and should not delay getting the good people of Pennsylvania the help and the support they need. I hope the Senate will be responsible stewards of the public trust and return to Harrisburg to sign this bill to make it law.”
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10 Responses
Fuc* little Josh. The senate should stay I recess until December 2024!!!
“In the end, Senate Republicans did not close the deal with their House counterparts, rather than closing a deal that was within reach, with House Democrats.”
Josh – Are you kidding? Everyone in Harrisburg knows who failed to close this deal. Shifting blame to Senate leadership is a great strategy if your plan is to never achieve a legislative victory.
Bradford and Harris mismanaged the Budget process on the House side for months. Jordan even posted a video that was supposed to be funny where he dropped the budget all over the basement floor of the Capitol on his way to what he mistaken called LRB (in reality he was going to the Bill room for perhaps the first time in his career.) That mismanagement is now paying dividends, with Bradford unable to appease the progressive caucus, the rest of his caucus, and the Governor with his slender one-vote “humble” majority. Add in Senate R Leadership who have proven to be more savvy than in the past, and it’s a problem that is apparent to even the casual observer. Example A is the fact that we are a quarter of the way through the session and the governor has signed a handful of lightweight bills into law.
The Governor was in the pole position after riding high with his successful handling of the 95 bridge situation. He squandered an incredible amount of political capital in matter of just a few weeks and has nothing to show for it except the mistrust of everyone in the Capitol.
The public and the press will realize the gravity of the situation as this drags through the summer.
It is increasingly apparent that Bradford and Shapiro are not on the same page, and the disfunction of Montco Dems will become more apparent instead of just water cooler talk on State Street.
This should come as no surprise. Joshie will do what Joshie deems to be in his best interests. In this case, kowtowing to the teacher unions is to Joshie more important that helping kids in poor districts and keeping his side of the deal he made with the Senate. If you don’t believe me you can ask Joe (‘Et tu, Joshie?) Hoeffel or Bill DeWeese.
I spend all day making comments on this website because I don’t have a job, a spouse or any friends.
The fake electors party is really mad and sad they don’t control the entire PA legislature. They also lost another case about mail-in voting which they once supported. The so-called fiscal conservatives love to waste taxpayer’s money on frivolous lawsuits.
More like the Courts continue to fail to do their job and protect the people and the state Constitution. Blame the courts and the Dems for the waste.
The program is question would provide help to kids in failing school districts like Philadelphia, Chester, Harrisburg and others. Yes, Shapiro broke his word. What’s worse is that Shapiro’s veto is hurting kids in failing school districts, which has long term social and fiscal ramifications for the Commonwealth.
He’s always been a weasel. Nobody should be surprised.
Translation: In the end, I got caught trying to push through a $100 million gift from the taxpayers to my millionaire donors who gave me $150,000… by the Dems … and the Republicans who are still beholden to those millionaires are crying about it.
No he got caught trying to help kids and the Dems and the Teacher Unions couldn’t have that. They exist to help themselves, not kids.