Feb. 04, 2026
HARRISBURG – Rep. Jamie Barton (R-Berks/Schuylkill) issued this statement following the governor’s budget address yesterday:
“Gov. Josh Shapiro swung and missed.
“As families and seniors are looking for a responsive state government seeking to lower costs across the board, Gov. Shapiro brought out a cookie cutter approach of the tried-and-failed ‘spend billions today and raise taxes tomorrow.’
“The last two Democrat governors’ support of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) left Pennsylvania’s energy industry languishing. By forcing industry to delay investments, he stopped the economic growth that would help us generate tax revenue, balance budgets and make Pennsylvania a world leader in energy production.
“I applaud the governor’s recent energy conversion on RGGI. Now he needs to cut the red tape and unleash our energy potential for good.
“When it comes to the deficit spending he proposed, it opens the door to a conversation about what the taxpayer money sitting in Harrisburg should be used for. It’s clear the governor wants to spend on his political base and special interests. I will be talking to my colleagues about how we can send money back to taxpayers to help them put food on their table, gas in their cars, heat in their homes and prescription drugs in their medicine cabinets. I think that is a much better way to meet the needs of everyday Pennsylvanians.”
Rep. Jamie Barton
124th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jake Gillespie
717.772.9834
JGillespie@pahousegop.com
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