Pennsylvania House Democrats unilaterally broke ranks with Gov. Josh Shapiro by overhauling his budget plan and put Pennsylvania on a path to bankruptcy by passing an unsustainable budget that will drain the state’s Rainy Day Fund and budget surplus, House Republican leaders said today.

“House Democrats today completely broke with their governor, Josh Shapiro, by gutting his budget and replacing it with a bloated spending plan that reflects their unilateral priorities,” House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) said.

“While Gov. Shapiro’s budget was bad enough, Democrats today have increased spending and raised taxes, bloated state government, and rammed through a massive and unsustainable spending plan with only six hours for lawmakers and the public to read it,” Cutler added. “This is not only gross mismanagement and a lack of transparency by House Democrats, but it is the kind of sneak attack politics that the public abhors.”


PA House GOP Leaders' press conference on House Dem's budget proposal 


House Republican Appropriations Chairman Seth Grove (R-York) noted the spending plan unilaterally pushed by House Democratic leadership is poor budgeting and fiscally irresponsible.

“A simple, kitchen-table idea is that you should not spend money you do not have. However, the budget created and forced through the House today by House Democratic leadership not only does that, but it ensures money the state has to save Pennsylvanians from a tax increase will be gone earlier than anyone expected,” Grove stated.

“On top of that, this budget continues its attack on small businesses by weaponizing the Department of Labor and Industry, puts Pennsylvania on a path to insolvency, and reflects the one-sided priorities of one legislative caucus,” Gove added. “There is so much in here that Democrats must be ashamed of that they rushed their unilateral spending plan through with only a few hours for Pennsylvanians to see what is in it.”

Compared to the $45.9 billion budget introduced by Gov. Shapiro, the House Democrats’ spending plan increases spending by $1.08 billion over what the governor proposed and is a $5.7 billion increase or 14 percent over the current fiscal year.




House Appropriations Committee 2023 budget hearings



Shapiro Budget Proposal Documents

General Fund Appropriations

General Fund Financial Statement

Proposed Tax and Revenue Modifications