Aug. 26, 2015
HARRISBURG – Rep. Cris Dush (R-Jefferson) yesterday voted with 114 of his Republican colleagues to restore funding for vital human services that were denied funding by Gov. Tom Wolf’s June 30 veto of the entire state budget.
Twenty votes were taken to override the governor’s veto of 20 specific human services that were funded at levels Wolf requested, or higher. That means these items were not controversial – at least they should not have been. The votes needed to override a governor’s veto are 136. Republicans provided 115 of these votes, but Democrats voted as a block to deny funding for rape victims, children with intellectual disabilities, breast cancer screenings and community-based health care.
“I was hopeful that we could take the politics out of the items where we had agreement and take an effective step forward for the thousands of Pennsylvanians who rely on these services,” Dush said.
The move was necessary, Dush said, because after House and Senate negotiators last week offered to give Wolf his $400 million in basic education funding, if he would also compromise and agree to reforms for both the state liquor system and the public pension systems, the governor doubled down, moved the goalposts, and demanded even more money.
Reforms to the liquor system alone through privatization would generate more than $200 million in recurring yearly revenue, with pension savings estimated at more than $12 billion over the long term, providing the education money Wolf wants without placing further tax burdens on Pennsylvania families who are living paycheck to paycheck.
“I came into this job hoping to make a positive difference, and I still believe I can.” Dush said. “I came here to fight this kind of political maneuvering. But, there is a big difference between watching this play out on television versus sitting here watching these people you’ve met in the Capitol actually vote to deny funding for cancer and disabled children in order to force a $4.7 billion tax hike on the elderly and middle class. Those who are willing to do that are thankfully shrinking in number, but they are obviously still a problem.”
Representative Cris Dush
66th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Ty McCauslin
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