Jun. 30, 2016
HARRISBURG – The state House today advanced
Senate Bill 1073, the key piece in the package of legislation that forms the 2016-17 state budget. If signed by the governor, the bill will require $31.6 billion in spending, a more than $1.6 billion increase over the 2015-16 fiscal year.
While the bill passed with bipartisan support, it also had opponents on both sides of the aisle. Rep. Jim Christiana (R-Beaver/Washington) opposed the spending plan and issued this statement following the vote:
“Gov. Tom Wolf continues to believe that the way Pennsylvania can achieve a ‘promising future’ is by taking more money from people’s paychecks. With some bipartisan help this year, he will succeed in jacking up government spending by a record $5.3 billion just so he can score some quick political brownie points. This reckless spending plan will come back to haunt us all when Wolf uses it to manufacture a crisis and resurrect his massive tax hikes. The fiscal train wreck has not been averted...simply put off for another year.
“Despite the declarations of the governor and those who brokered this deal, the money to pay for this budget is unreliable and pure fantasy. Without a doubt, passage of this budget ensures that Pennsylvania will face a significant deficit next year. There are millions of dollars that could be saved by eliminating unnecessary programs and wasteful spending, but this administration would rather raise spending and rely on gambling and fancy accounting tricks to balance the budget.
“While I would have loved to support a timely budget this year, I simply wasn’t willing to wreck the economy and squeeze more from our poor and middle-class families just to meet a deadline. Ultimately, that more than 5 percent spending increase is going to have to be paid for, and it’s the construction workers, the electricians, the nurses, the landscapers, all of our workers that will be asked to foot this bill.”
Representative Jim Christiana
15th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Abbey Haslam
ahaslam@pahousegop.com
RepChristiana.com /
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