Feb. 08, 2022
HARRISBURG – Rep. Valerie Gaydos (R-Allegheny) issued the below statement following Tuesday’s budget address.
“Gov. Tom Wolf announced his desired plan for Pennsylvania’s fiscal year 2022-23. His $43.7 billion budget proposal - the largest spending plan yet in Pennsylvania history - equates to nearly $17 million per day in new state spending. A 16.6% increase in state spending is not sustainable and will empty the cabinets of many of our Pennsylvania families.
“Paying our bills and investing in Pennsylvania’s future is an admirable goal, but doing so at the cost of nearly $17 million per day in new spending is irresponsible and extremely unfair to many residents of our state who have been disproportionately burdened by the COVID-19 pandemic and our severe inflationary times.
“Pennsylvania’s budget requires discipline that continues to move the Commonwealth toward a path of economic recovery, stability and success, not a budget that saddles our families and future generations with more debts and obligations. This should be a time to help citizens and business owners get back on their feet and not burden them with additional debt. The governor’s plan will require large tax increases for Pennsylvania taxpayers and job creators to meet the level of spending proposed.
“As we look ahead, I will continue fighting for ways to continue to grow our economy and standing up for taxpayers rights.”
Gaydos notes that the proposed spending plan is just the start of the annual budget process. The House Appropriations Committee will conduct a series of hearings starting Tuesday, Feb. 15, to examine the details of the governor’s plan and how state agencies are spending their funding. In the process Gaydos is hoping that a more manageable and reasonable budget will emerge. A schedule of the hearings is available at
PAHouseGOP.com/budgethearings.
Representative Valerie Gaydos
44th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives