Brown: State Budget is Irresponsible, Incomplete

7/15/2025

HARRISBURG – Rep. Marla Brown (R Lawrence) made the following remarks after casting a “no” vote on House Bill 1330, the General Appropriations Act, now approved by the House.

“As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, how can I vote in favor of legislation that was dropped into our lap about five minutes before we were asked to vote on an amendment to the General Appropriations bill. This bill was not agreed to by the Senate.
“This budget is irresponsible and reckless. It ignores reality, lacks transparency and puts Pennsylvania taxpayers at risk.

“This budget is pushing a $50.6 billion spending plan without providing the basic documents needed to evaluate it. There is no tax code, no fiscal code and no full financial sheet. That is not how a responsible government operates.

“When the governor took office, the state had more than $13 billion in reserves. That number will be cut in half by the end of this year. This budget does nothing to slow the bleeding.

“Costs are rising faster than revenue. That means future tax hikes are inevitable. Democrats are spending today and sticking taxpayers with the bill tomorrow.

“There is no commitment to school choice, no support for energy development and no effort to cut red tape or waste. These are Republican priorities that were completely ignored.

“We should be helping working families, not growing bureaucracy. We need real reforms to fix our economy and prepare our students for the future.

“This proposal is incomplete, unsustainable and driven by politics, not principles. Until it includes serious reforms, the only responsible vote is ‘no.’”

Representative Marla Brown
9th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Rick Leiner
717.260.6437 (office), 717.497.8478 (cell)
Rleiner@pahousegop.com
RepMarlaBrown.com / facebook.com/RepMarlaBrown