Nov. 10, 2021
HARRISBURG – Despite numerous unneeded hurdles put in place by the Wolf administration, the Legislative Budget and Finance Commission (LBFC) released its report on the Department of Health’s COVID-19 death reporting, Rep. Kate Klunk (R-Hanover) announced today.
“Unfortunately for the people of Pennsylvania, the Wolf administration attempted to shield data needed by the LBFC to do its review,” Klunk said. “It’s mind boggling to me that a branch of government would try to deny a bipartisan, bicameral government entity that routinely examines data and performs research information it needs to complete its task.”
Klunk was the sponsor of House Resolution 1087 of 2020, which called for the bicameral, bipartisan LBFC to collect data and complete the report. House Resolution 1087 of 2020 passed the House unanimously.
Throughout the pandemic, there have been numerous occasions where discrepancies existed in the information published by the Department of Health. This includes thousands of COVID-19 positive cases being removed from the daily totals, days where there were significant statistical anomalies in the data, the commingling of data, and COVID-19 being listed as a factor of death though the death of a person was the result of something else.
“Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said it best when she was quoted in a press release as saying, ‘It is important to remember that behind every COVID-19 data point is a person directly affected by this virus,’” Klunk said. “I agree and that is why it is vitally important that the state’s data is as accurate as possible. This data shaped policies imposed by Gov. Tom Wolf throughout this pandemic. He and all Pennsylvanians have a right to know that the data driving public health policy and individual health choices is reliable. If the governor wants a ‘Government that Works,’ he and his administration must be willing to not only talk the transparency talk, but walk the transparency walk by releasing this data and working with the LBFC to complete the additional tasks as set forth in the resolution.”
To read the full report, click here.
To watch the LBFC’s meeting on the report, click here.
Representative Kate A. Klunk
169th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Greg Gross
717.260.6374
ggross@pahousegop.com
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