The parties controlling the two sides of Pennsylvania’s Legislature spent the 100th day of the budget impasse venting frustrations about each other, claiming the other side is not negotiating in good faith.
House Democrats gathered Wednesday morning at a news conference in the Capitol Rotunda to accuse Senate Republicans of “playing politics” and intentionally stalling budget negotiations to hurt Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who is up for reelection next year. It’s a charge Shapiro first made in August.
“If I believe there was a policy issue that we couldn’t come to agreement with, I would tell you,” House Majority Leader Matt Bradford, D-Montgomery, said, flanked by Democratic lawmakers lining the marble stairs. “It’s politics, plain and simple. There’s a very popular governor and those that don’t like it. That’s all this comes down to at this point.”
Bradford’s comments came just hours before the House passed another overall state budget plan, which calls for total spending of $50.3 billion — a slight reduction from Democrats’ $50.6 billion budget proposal introduced in July.
Hours later, however, Senate Republicans said they hadn’t even seen the latest Democratic budget proposal, let alone agreed to its terms. And they said the House Democrats’ comments about Shapiro and then voting on their new budget plan did not advance budget talks.
“We’re prepared to figure out a path forward in this, but the rhetoric of today is not how you achieve a path forward,” Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, said. “And I will say this, the rhetoric of today has taken this budgetary process — as cumbersome and as difficult as it’s been — steps backward.”
Joining Pittman in voicing their frustrations over stalled negotiations were Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, and Appropriations Chair Scott Martin, R-Lancaster. They all scoffed when asked to respond to House Democrats’ accusation about wanting to harm Shapiro’s favorability. “That’s a ridiculous statement,” Pittman said. “We’re here because of serious issues. We’re here because of responsible governance.”The tensions in the Capitol, perhaps, could have been predicted. This week marked the first time both chambers have held simultaneous voting sessions since June 30, when the state budget was due.Asked about heated rhetoric in the Capitol, Shapiro criticized Republicans for leaving Harrisburg without negotiating a budget deal. He also alluded to a recent Quinnipiac University poll last week with results showing 60% of respondents approve of his job performance.“If they were motivated in the beginning to play political games, we all know that’s failed, right?” Shapiro said. “I’m in good shape.”
House Dems’ bill
The Democrats’ latest budget bill — backed by Shapiro — passed in a 105-98 vote, winning over three Republicans. It proposes spending slightly less than Shapiro’s $51.4 billion proposal unveiled earlier this year.
Left largely unchanged are the Democrats’ asks for public education and a funding formula lawmakers crafted last year to reduce the funding disparity between low-income and more affluent school districts.
It also includes increased funding from last year for the state’s Medicaid program.
“Every week we’ve been close to a deal. Every week we’re at the 1-yard line. Every week, the Senate Republicans forget they’ve got governing partners over in the House, where we’re ready to rumble and we’re always ready to compromise,” House Speaker Joanna McClinton said at the party’s news conference before the vote.
Senate Republicans countered Democrats by insisting the General Assembly should fund the state at last year’s $47.6 billion level.
House Republicans held their own news conference Wednesday morning, where GOP Leader Jesse Topper, R-Bradford, criticized the idea of passing a budget bill that hasn’t been agreed to by the other side.
“If we continue the idea of sending bills back and forth, then you’re going to continue to have the same result,” Topper said.
Senate GOP backs loans
In accusing Republicans of stalling the budget to hurt Shapiro’s reelection chances, Democrats pointed to the fact that the Republican Party’s endorsed gubernatorial candidate, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, entered the budget battle a few weeks ago.
Circumventing the Legislature, she offered a $500 million loan program to counties and Head Start providers to cover their expenses during the impasse. Garrity expanded the program last week to include rape crisis centers and providers of Pre-K Counts programs for low-income families.
Senate Republicans on Wednesday put their full support behind her effort.
In a 29-20 vote — winning support from two Democrats (a third Democrat did not vote) — the Senate approved legislation giving Garrity the “sole discretion” to waive any interest, costs or fees associated with the loans.
“We are at 100 days without a budget and until one passes, I urge members of the House and Governor Shapiro to pass this bill so organizations can continue to provide important services for our most vulnerable,” Garrity said in a statement.
A spokesman for the Treasury said more than 30 organizations are in the process of applying, but he did not specify whether any one has submitted a loan application.
Democrats argue that Garrity lacks the legal authority to issue such loans and that she is offering the program to score political points from the state budget impasse.
“ Our Pennsylvania Constitution … vests the power to appropriate funds with the General Assembly — not the state Treasurer, who has no role in that regard,” Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, of Allegheny County, said at a news conference earlier this week.
The Treasury has the power to “invest” state funds, according to the state Constitution; therefore, Republicans argue that Garrity holds the power to provide loans with interest that could turn a profit for the state.
Still, the Senate GOP legislation passed Wednesday would eliminate the interest payments for governments or agencies that acquire a loan.
“At the end of the day, if there’s a disagreement over the Treasurer’s authority on this, then I guess you’ll just have to go to court,” Pittman told his colleagues on the floor.