North Lancaster News

HARRISBURG – The Lancaster Republican Delegation to the House of Representatives today listened to Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget proposal before a joint session of the General Assembly, where the governor asked for $2 billion in new spending over the current budget and $5 billion in new taxpayer debt.

The delegation – House Majority Leader Bryan Cutler (R-Peach Bottom), Mindy Fee (R-Manheim), Keith J. Greiner (R-Upper Leacock), Dave Hickernell (R-West Donegal), Brett Miller (R-East Hempfield), Steve Mentzer (R-Lititz) and Dave Zimmerman (R-East Earl) – issued the following statement on Wolf’s proposed $36 billion 2020-21 budget:

“All of us bring the same goals from our communities to Harrisburg. Residents want good schools for their children, a solid and stable economy that produces good-paying jobs right here at home, good roads and reliable public safety. Good government is about coming together to reach those goals with colleagues who have different ideas about how to move forward.

“But asking for more of taxpayers' hard-earned money and billions in new debt is not how we get there. Taxpayers have been asked year after year to hand over more of their money for the same results.

“We agree on funding programs that work and have proven results. But not all the current government programs taxpayers have already been asked to fund are performing as they should. Pennsylvania’s families cannot just create and fund new items in their budget when they have already busted their current budgets. They don’t understand how a government continues to spend when it has already blown through what they have given it.

“However, we believe that the best way to achieve these goals and turn them into a reality for all our citizens is not just with new government programs, more spending, and additional debt.

“While our state has enjoyed revenue surpluses during one of the most robust economic times in recent memory, we continue to experience high levels of cost overruns in executive departments, which have resulted in unsustainable supplemental budgetary needs."

“We will have a debate in the months ahead on how to meet Pennsylvanians’ spending challenges in the 2020-21 budget, and that means working with the governor and our colleagues of differing views on how we can better manage our resources, programs, and investments. As servants of the people, we look forward to that debate and providing our communities with the best results on which we can all agree.”

Lancaster County House Republican Delegation

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Media Contact: Charles Lardner

717.260.6443